


Nick's Pain

by Dwebus1020



Category: Zootopia (2016)
Genre: F/M, Hurt/Comfort
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-06-02
Updated: 2021-02-28
Packaged: 2021-03-03 18:37:20
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 26
Words: 113,325
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24500152
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Dwebus1020/pseuds/Dwebus1020
Summary: In a slightly darker version of Zootopia Nick and Judy have to fight to stay alive and more importantly together.  Rated M for some blood and gore as well as sexy times a bit later.
Relationships: Judy Hopps & Nick Wilde, Judy Hopps/Nick Wilde
Comments: 188
Kudos: 264





	1. Prolog

**Author's Note:**

> Author's notes:
> 
> Hello and welcome to my first published fic! I have a few chapters written out so expect regular updates.  
> Oh, and chapter one/the pro-log takes place during the movie, I wanted to change a few events to fit the world I'm building.

***The Gondola Pier***

The two figures darted across giant tree branches hundreds of feet in the air. A fox being chased by a bunny was an odd sight and might have elected a laugh were they both not currently being followed closely by a savage jaguar. Thankfully officer Hopps had already called it in to HQ so all they had to do was keep away from the beast long enough for backup to arrive. When they spotted the gondola pier Nick was elated, they'd be able to escape Scott free and give the cops an exact location to start their search for Mr. Manchas once they left him behind. Nick didn’t notice Judy sliding off the side of the pier until he arrived at the gondola and saw she wasn't right behind him like he'd expected. Instead the jaguar was approaching him slowly on all fours. He could still leave and save himself, but he'd be leaving the carrot headed cop to die in a horrific way, and he couldn't do that to her no matter how much of a pain she could be. 

Instead Nick stepped away from the gondola and balled his paws into fists, his knuckles popping loudly in the quiet rain. Nick saw the muscles tense up on the jaguar's back, but before the chauffeur could pounce Nick closed the distance and landed a solid blow on Mr. Manchas' chin. The large cat placed a step back surprised, Nick knew he didn’t really hurt him, but he was just getting started. Before Mr. Manchas could get solid footing again Nick was on him with a flurry of blows concentrating on the jaguar's eyes trying to get him to turn his head away. After a few tense moments Mr. Manchas reared back swiping a claw down wildly, Nick took this as his opportunity and while blocking the blow with his left forearm stepped in and uppercut his paw as hard as he could directly into the jaguar's throat causing the cat to fall backwards gasping. 

As soon as the jaguar landed with a thud Nick heard a ratcheting sound, he noticed Judy cuffing one of Mr. Manchas' paws to a nearby light pole. Nick let out a sigh of relief and stepped towards officer Hopps and she looked up at him with shocked admiration written all over her face, "Nick, sweet cheese and crackers, that was amazing! Where on earth did you learn that?"

Nick allowed his mask of cool indifference to slide in place quickly hiding the panic that he was barely holding back. "Spend enough time in Zootopia carrots, you'll learn a thing or two."

"Nice try slick, most of the cops I trained with wouldn’t have been able to handle him half that well, and I'm including the rhino who trained us. I want an honest ans… LOOK OUT!" Judy spotted Mr. Manchas getting back up behind Nick and grabbed his arm pulling him out of the way of a vicious swipe of the jaguar's claws likely saving his life. Sadly this also pulled Nick off his balance and the two tumbled off the pier into the vines below.

***On the gondola after Nick's flashback***

"After they placed the muzzle on me, I just felt so powerless and afraid. If a bunch of kids my own size could do that to me, what could the bigger mammals do, what would they do, all because I was a fox. So I made myself a promise, I'd never let anyone get that kind of power over me ever again. I started buying self defense tapes at thrift shops and learned how to fight. I got plenty of opportunities: I was an angry kit after that night for a long time. Some fights I won, some I lost, got my tail beat plenty of times, but I never let another animal walk over me like that again." 

Judy's heart broke for the fox standing next to her, his life has been so cruel to him and she could now see that all he'd wanted to do was be a good mammal, but he hadn't even been given the chance. Had things turned out just a little bit differently she might have ended up just as jaded as him, thank god the Mammal Inclusion Initiative occurred when it did. She took a step closer to the tod and placed a comforting paw on his arm, "Oh Nick, I'm so sorry. You're a good mammal, and anyone who can't see that is a bigoted idiot! Myself included, I'm sorry to admit." 

Nick regretfully pulled away from her and sighed, "It's okay carrots, I'm used to it."

This did little to comfort her though, "No, no it's not okay! I always believed myself to be better than that, to look beyond the species and see the mammal within, but it took you stepping up to defend my life and then my job to really see you Nick." Judy went to wipe some tears from her eyes when she noticed that her paw had a bit of blood on it. "Nick! You're bleeding!"

Nick looked down at his forearm staring ruefully at the torn sleeve, "Oh, it's not too bad. Our good friend Mr. Manchas got one decent swipe at me, but I was able to avoid the worst of it. Honestly I'm more upset about the shirt, do you have any idea how hard it is to find long-sleeve pawiian shirts?" 

His joking tone did little to calm the bunny cop, "That's it, take your shirt off!" She was busy taking a small first aid kit out of one of her pouches and didn’t notice his expression turn sour. When she glanced up at him he went to object, "I'm not hearing it Nick, take that shirt off and let me treat the wounds, now!"

Nick's mouth snapped shut and began regretfully unbuttoning the shirt. Once the last button was undone he turned his back to Judy, opening it up and slipping the shirt off his shoulders. Once the shirt started to lower Judy let out a gasp: his back was a patchwork of scar tissue pulled taught over layers of muscle. She now suspected he wore an ill fitting shirt to intentionally hide his clearly impressive physic. 

As Nick turned back she noticed that he had scars on most of his arms and chest as well and he said regretfully, "Sorry, I don't let most mammals see this. I think they'd find it unsettling…" 

Judy snapped out of her stupor, "Huh? Oh! Sorry, I didn’t mean to stare like that. Are these all from defending yourself?"

"Yeah, pretty much. It's the price I pay for upholding my code I suppose. Some folks don't like foxes and are plenty willing to show it."

Judy stepped forward and placed a paw on his chest, "Then you shouldn’t be embarrassed by them: these scars are the evidence that you won’t be held down just because of what you are. Instead you will fight back because of who you are." 

Nick couldn’t look away from the shining purple eyes that were now seemingly staring into his soul. He brought his paw up and laid it over hers and said softly, "Judy."

"Yes Nick?" 

"Thank you for saying that, but weren’t you going to look at my cuts?"

"Oh! Right, let me take care of that right now." 

Judy began by cleaning out the cuts with some alcohol wipes, and set about patching him up. After she had cleaned the cuts and ensured it wasn't still bleeding too much and that nothing major had been severed she wrapped them up with some gauss pads and bandages. "Well, at least these scars will make a good story. How many mammals get to say they fought a savage jaguar bare handed and won?"

"Haha, probably not too many. Although… hmm."

"What is it slick?"

"Well, Mr. Manchas went savage after getting clawed by Emit right?"

A look of horror crossed Judy's face. "Nick, we'll make sure that doesn’t happen. Emit clawed Mr. Manchas days ago, so we have time even if that was the cause. We don't know that's what happened here anyways so we shouldn’t panic."

"Well for the time being, you should keep that fox repellent close to paw." That last part came out a bit sadder than he had meant it to and he bent down to pick up his shirt to avoid making eye contact. As he was buttoning up the front of his shirt he glanced back at Judy to see her holding the fox repellent in her paws. She wasn’t holding it to use it, instead it was like she was contemplating it’s very existence. Nick hesitated before asking, "Why do you have that? I don’t think it’s standard police kit…"

Judy looked up at him and said, "It’s not. My parents were nervous about me going to Zootopia on my own and tried to get me to take a whole bag of anti-fox supplies. I only took this to get them to drop it, or that's what I thought. I should have thrown it away the second I got on the train!"

Nick knelt down on one knee to look at her on an even level, making a point to not look down at her, "So why didn’t you?"

"Well, I guess you’re not the only one with scars Nick." She brushed the fur aside on her cheek revealing three faint scars, "When I was about 9 years old a bully knocked me down and clawed my face. I'd never been more scared in my entire life, before or after, except now maybe with Mr. Manchas. The bully even made a vailed threat about foxes eating bunnies. I think… I think I just carried that moment of terror along for my entire life and moving to Zootopia, well, I guess it was more unsettling than I wanted to admit." 

Small tears started to form in the corner of her eyes and Nick quietly realized to himself, "She's just like me." Nick reached up and cupped her scarred cheek with his paw wiping away a tear with his thumb, "Hey fluff, it's okay. I know exactly what that kind of thing can do to a kit, the kind of damage it can leave behind. Besides, if I do go savage, it'll be a good thing you have it."

Judy looked at Nick for a long moment before she casually tossed the fox repellent over the side of the gondola. Nick watched in shock before shouting, "What are you doing carrots? You might need that!"

"No, I trust you Nick. I know it doesn’t make logical sense, but I do. So consider that me placing my trust in you, and this" she offered up her carrot pen, "is my apology. I shouldn’t have roped a civilian into this investigation in the first place. That being said, I wouldn’t have made it half as far without you, every lead we've had was because of you. So please, help me see this through?"

Nick sat back stunned, here was a bunny, a bunny that was once attacked by a fox no less, placing her faith, no her life, in his hands. He could take the pen and walk away, maybe even some day convince himself that he was right to do so, she said it herself: she shouldn’t have gotten him involved. He took the pen from her paw and studied it for a moment. He then looked into her eyes and pressed the erase button and he noticed the look of disappointment that crossed her face for a moment. Then before she could say anything he pressed record, "Alright officer Hopps, I'll stick by your side till this is done, one way or the other." 

Judy let out a squeal and jumped at Nick wrapping her arms around his neck screaming, "Thank you thank you thank you!!!!"

Nick was again stunned by her apparent complete faith in him and slowly brought his arms up and hugged her back softly. He then coughed and stood up saying, "Boy, look at that traffic down there. How about we go out to Chuck in Traffic Central?"

*** Under the Bridge***

Judy slid down the embankment to the underside of the bridge and there she spotted the fox she had been looking for. Nick was sprawled out on a lawn chair, Judy was ecstatic to see him and moved to run over to him but hesitated when she saw the state he was in. His pawiian shirt was off laying on the ground next to him which would normally leave his chest bare, but there were a multitude of bandages and wraps covering a good portion of his fur. Judy stopped dead in her tracks as Nick casually tilted his head towards her, his mirrored sunglasses helping to give off the impression that he was expecting her (which he was, as Finnick had texted him the moment Judy had left the van) and was completely unfazed by her presence. Judy had come here to ask him for help one more time, but seeing him in this state, it broke something in her. Instead of trying to appeal to his moral compass she instead shouted out, "I'M SORRY! Oh Nick, I'm so sorry: I did this to you. I've spent the last 3 months replaying the press conference over and over in my head and I realized what a horrible mistake I made both during and immediately after. There is no excuse for what I said." She started to walk over to him now, "I became everything I strived to stop, I set out to make the world a better place for all mammals, and instead I made it so much worse for the mammal I care about the most." That line did take Nick by surprise, but he still didn't say anything or react outwardly at all, he was curious where she was going with this. "I don't know if I'll ever be able to make it up to you Nick, but if you give me the chance I'd like to spend the rest of my life trying."

Nick stood up finally and picked up his shirt slinging it over his shoulder and turning his back to Judy before walking off under the bridge. Judy let out a sob before saying, "I came here to ask for your help again, but I don't deserve it. At least I can let you know that you were right all along: I really am just a dumb bunny." 

Nick stopped walking for a moment and slipped his shirt on without buttoning it up. He turned around and walked back, still silent, he stopped just a foot from her and spoke for the first time, his voice soft, "I was furious you know. For years I kept everyone at arm's length, if they couldn't get close to me they couldn't hurt me. Then along comes officer toot toot, turns my comfortable life upside down, threatens me with jail time and drags me off to some wild goose chase to find some missing mammals. She also believed in me, convinced me I could be what I had given up on being all those years ago, and became my only real friend in this god forsaken city. I allowed myself to open up, just a little bit, and that small crack in my guard was enough for you to slip the knife in." 

"After the press conference I wanted nothing to do with you: I thought you had betrayed me. I hated you for a while, but then it sunk in, you didn't say what you did out of maliciousness, you were trying to give honest answers to impossible questions, and honestly you should never have been put up there by yourself in the first place. You certainly could have answered them better, but that's in the past now." Nick knelt down to get on eye level with Judy and pulled his shades up revealing a bad looking black eye, "I looked for you, you know." Judy was taken aback by that but Nick pressed on, "About a month ago I went into the ZPD asking about you and the asshole working the front desk told me you resigned, well, he told me that after he threatened to have me arrested. Do you know why I went looking for you?" Judy shook her head, "It's because I saw you on the afternoon news breaking up an Anti-Pred protest. You were yelling at them all to disband and you looked tired, so tired and miserable, exactly how I felt all the time after I walked away. A month later I walked into the ZPD, but you were gone, I did nothing for too long and then it was too late to clear the air. I'm sorry too Judy, I shouldn't have taken it all so personally." He cupped her cheek like he did months ago on the gondola, "I made you a promise not that long ago." In his other paw Judy noticed the carrot pen appear and he pressed the play button, "All right officer Hopps, I'll stick by your side till this is done, one way or the other."

Judy let out another sob and jumped into his arms hugging him tightly, "Thank you Nick, you really are the best mammal I know." She started crying and buried her face into his chest.

"Oh you bunnies, so emotional, okay bring it in." Nick wrapped her up in his arms holding her close and allowed himself to wallow in the scent he had missed these last three months. He thought to himself, "Wait, I missed her scent? Now is not the time to think about this Wilde!" As to distract himself he said to Judy, "Although you are pulling at my bandages, ow ow ow!"

Judy hopped back quickly, "Oh sorry! You didn't get these from Anti-Pred groups did you?"

Nick looked away, "Not... exactly. I got most of these for sticking up for you actually."

"For... me?" Judy was surprised to hear that.

Nick was having a hard time holding eye contact, "Yeah, there were people who would say some not so kind things about you, either how you attacked predators with your conference, or how you betrayed prey for breaking up their protests. Well after I had gotten over my initial anger I didn't take too kindly to their attitude so I decided they needed an adjustment." Judy gave him a flat look, "Hey, I said I had gotten over my initial anger, not that I wasn't angry..."

Judy's expression softened, "You really did all that for me?" Nick nodded, "Well, I shouldn't thank you for assaulting mammals in my name... but, thank you Nick, for always sticking up for me. First with Bogo at the gondola and now this. Why do you fight for me when it would always be so much easier for you to just walk away?" Nick remained silent and simply stared at her for a long moment, "Alright, now get that shirt off mister! I need to check over your bandages before we set off, I have a lead to follow up on." Nick begrudgingly slipped his shirt off only wincing slightly as Judy set about checking over his wounds. As she was taking care of him Nick reflected that these last few months were the first time he fought a mammal for someone other than himself in his whole life. 


	2. Chapter 1

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> When Nick and Judy get stopped in the Natural History Museum the rams draw guns instead of chasing after the two of them.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Author's Note: Hello again everyone. I am colorblind as heck so let me know if I got the color of the Night Howler Pellet wrong...
> 
> Also I know I said I'd be able to post a few chapters in quick succession, but you see, I'm a potato.
> 
> Anyway, on to the first proper chapter of Nick's Pain, and I'll see you after the chapter.  
> ***

Nick woke up to a world of pain. His mind was foggy and he couldn't remember how he'd gotten... wherever the hell he was, but he did know he had to move. A nagging feeling in the back of his mind screamed of danger. He pulled himself back to his feet dully noting the blood pooling on the floor around him. Nick looked down at his chest and suddenly gasped out in pain when he noticed that he had two, no, three bullet holes in his shirt each of which seemed to be seeping blood rather quickly. He groaned as he set his feet to moving noticing for the first time that he was in the natural history museum, it was closed judging by the crates and displays laying around as well as the majority of the lights being off currently. Nick wasn't sure what spurred his movements, but he knew it was urgent. As he found himself in the Entry Hall it all became sickeningly clear: Judy was being held up by her ears by one of the rams who had intercepted them earlier. Her face was beaten and bloody and she appeared to be unconscious.

It took the two rams and Bellwether a few moments to spot Nick stumbling into the room but when they did Bellwether spoke up her disgust apparent in her voice, "Well, look who decided to wake up?" One of the rams leveled a revolver at Nick but she stopped him, "Wait, we still need to find the missing Night Howler Pellet. I assume you know where it is pred?"

Nick tasted blood as he tried to speak coughing up a mouthful of the red substance onto the floor, "Ah god, that can't be good." Nick's knees buckled and he collapsed to the floor wheezing in pain.

Bellwether spoke up, "Hey! You can die when I say you can die pred. Pass me that gun."

One of the rams handed over the slightly too large revolver to Bellwether who pressed the barrel against Judy's temple. "Tell me where it is or I'll turn this dumb bunny's skull inside out PRED." Nick made no move to acknowledge what she said, his brain trying desperately to come up with a solution. "I'll give you to the count of 3." He had the Pellet in his shirt pocket, he felt it jostle slightly when he fell down, "3" but if he handed it over it would disappear with the rest of the evidence that was already lost, "2" he couldn't let Carrots die, though he knew that even if he somehow saved her life and let Bellwether cover the whole thing up she'd never forgive him. "1!"

Nicks hand shot up, a small violet Pellet grasped between his claws, "Wait! I have it, it's right here. Please, just promise me you won't hurt her... she just wanted to make the world a better place. Not like me, I never did anything for anyone before." Nick rambled on too softly for anyone to quite make out.

Bellwether motioned for the two rams to go over to Nick who rolled over onto his back and his breathing became shallow and fast. The first ram reached out to take the Pellet but paused when he heard Nick still muttering. He leaned in close to listen in, "I'm sorry Judy, I'm so sorry. It's the only way. Please forgive me."

The ram shook his head and reached for the Pellet but Nick's other arm grabbed the ram by the wrist and he opened his eyes, "I'm sorry." His voice was deathly quiet, "It's the only way." Nick crushed the pellet in his paw and rubbed the gel across his lips. His muscles all locked up at once causing him to scream out in pain as the bullet holes were all pulled open just a little bit further. The ram bleated in fear and tried to pull away but Nick's claws were already digging into his wrist causing blood to drip from his hoof. Nicks eyes snapped open revealing the slits of a savage predator, the second ram tried to pull Nick off of his friend but Nick was too fast. He darted up and sunk his teeth into the neck of the first ram without letting go of his wrist. With a quick twist Nick's mouth filled with the coppery taste of blood and the ram fell over onto his back his life quickly leaving his eyes. Nick turned to the second ram a growl deep in his throat and the ram turned to run. Before it made it three steps it felt Nick's claws and teeth gouging at his legs. The ram let a snarl of his own, but was quickly silenced as and Nick crawled up it's back and bit into the back of it's neck and shook roughly breaking through flesh and bone with vicious efficacy.

When the ram went limp Nick hopped off and looked around, there was a scent in the room that was confusing him. He spotted the source still clutched in the hooves of the ewe, Nick's eyes narrowed in hatred as he slowly stalked forward. The rage he felt burning inside bubbling up his throat until it escaped in a harsh snarl and he leapt across the floor. Bellwether fired off a shot towards Nick but the round went wide. She dropped Judy as she stumbled away but Judy did not hit the ground, she was caught by Nick in his teeth gripping the back of her neck lightly as a vixen might carry it's young in the days of old, and he dragged the bunny out of sight of Bellwether, blocking her with his body. Nick quietly sniffed her between her ears his nose rooting through her fur. She was definitely the source of the familiar scent, but he couldn't place why he would recognize prey. Perhaps he'd hunted this bunny before, he definitely felt annoyance when he looked at her face as he prodded her onto her back. He opened his jaws wide and wrapped them around the bunny's throat ready to bite down and end her life when he noticed her nose twitching slightly and tears welling up behind her eye lids. These two things in conjunction sparked a pair of very different memories. They both caused his heart to ache, but for very different reasons. The first he was in an unfamiliar building and she had betrayed him. He was furious and left her behind while she was calling out to him with her nose twitching wildly in fear, but he left before he did something he would regret. The second memory he was standing in the warm sun surrounded by familiar sights and smells, she was behind him calling out to him again. The sounds were unfamiliar, but their tone was rife with despair and sadness and she was desperate. His heart broke when she started to cry and he had turned and hugged her, loving the feel of her ears while he stroked them.

Back in the present Nick let go of her throat and shook his head blasting a breath of hot air out his nose. He leaned back in and licked her nose stopping the twitching as Judy sighed finally resting peacefully. He then leaned in and licked the tears from her eyes enjoying the saltiness that was there. He heard a strangled cry from across the room and he whipped his head around spotting the ewe who was staring at him with disgust and horror. Nick felt the rage building up once again but the amount of blood he'd lost caused him to fall to his side when he tried to head over and kill her. Nick let out a pained whimper as his eyes started to fall closed. He saw Bellwether grin manically as she regained her feet aiming her revolver back at Nick, she squeezed off a round and Nick accepted his fate. Except the bullet didn't hit Nick, it missed him and struck Judy in one of her ears causing her to scream out in pain. Before he even knew it Nick was back up and across the room, Bellwether tried to get another shot off, but he was on her too fast for her to react. He bit down viciously on her arm causing her to drop the gun then he clawed her face once leaving deep furrows in her flesh which quickly let rivers of blood flowing down to her neck and chest. Nick licked the blood hoping to saver it's flavor but found it repulsive. The ewe was no longer a threat and certainly not food so he gripped her neck in one of his paws and threw her into the pit near the center of the room carelessly. Bellwether screamed out in fear until it was abruptly cut off with her unceremoniously striking the floor of the display with a sickening crunch.

With the ewe gone Nick turned his attention back to the Bunny lying on the ground who seemed to be slowly waking back up crying softly in pain. Nick softly padded over to the bunny and prodded her with his nose whimpering in sympathy. Judy finally started to wake up and gasped at the pain in her left ear while sitting up. Nick licked the wound in her ear causing her to gasp for a very different reason as a rabbit's ear are incredibly sensitive and his attention was driving her wild. Judy finally opened her eyes and sat up pushing Nick off of herself looking around, her officer training taking over, making her take stock of the current situation. She retched in horror at the sight of the two dead rams but instead of indulging on the horror of the moment she instead instantly pulled Nick into her arms to shield him from whatever savage mammal did this. It wasn't until she heard him whimper pitifully that she took a moment to truly look at him. She cried out in shock when she noticed the blood still dripping from his shirt through the now noticeable bullet holes.

"Oh my god Nick! We need to stop the bleeding!" Judy stood up in a flash ignoring the unsteadiness in her legs and the edges of her vision blurring. She tried to get him to lay down on his back but he was being uncooperative. "Come on Nick! What the hell's your probl..." The sentence died in her throat as she finally noticed his eyes and the blood still dripping from his muzzle. She knew she should have been terrified but she was instead simply distraught for her friend. His body language was not of that of a mindless killer, instead she still saw her Nick sitting before her, just instead of sitting like a civilized mammal he was sitting with all 4 paws on the ground, clearly ready to move at a moments notice, every noise causing him to tense up. Judy reached up and cupped his cheek in her paws drawing his attention back to her, the moment their eyes met Nick's tension melted away and he relaxed into her attention whining softly. Nick tried to nuzzle his nose into her fur but he was too weak.

Judy caught him as he slumped to the ground and rolled him gently onto his back. As she tore away at his shirt to get a better look at his wounds she gasped at what she saw: the three bullet holes were still leaking blood steadily. Judy used the torn remnants of Nick's shirt to try and stem the bleeding, she cursed her luck that her phone broke in the train crash preventing her from calling an ambulance. Nick was drifting away, his eyes slowly drawing to a close, he just felt so tired. He could hear the bunny making some noise, but his mind was too clouded from the combination of night howler, pain, and exhaustion from the blood loss to understand anything she was saying. The last thing he did before his eyes shut for good was reach up to the beautiful bunny before him and stroked her ears one last time. He saw tears forming in her eyes though he couldn't understand why.  
***

Judy was sitting on a bench in the hospital waiting room desperate for any news. Chief Bogo came out of the surgery wing and Judy jumped off the bench and hobbled over to him. "Chief! What's the news?"

"They did all they could Hopps, but it was too late. Bellwether died on the operating table from head and spinal trauma."

"What?! I don't give a fuck if that slime lives or dies! How's Nick? Please the doctors here won't tell me anything!"

Bogo narrowed his eyes at the desperation in her voice but decided not to comment on it. "The doctors have gotten him stable, but they are a bit worried about his vitals. Even with the other Night Howler infected mammals his seem particularly elevated and they cannot figure out why. He's still sedated as they don't want him tearing his stitches and causing more damage to himself."

"Can I see him Chief? Please, he saved my life, I want to thank him before I leave."

"Hopps, he's a savage killer. I don't think it's a good idea for you to see him."

"Chief, you're wrong." Bogo had become a bit familiar with Judy and her stubborn streak, but the iron in her voice took him by surprise again. Before he could argue she spoke over him, "He did kill the three of them, that I cannot argue. But he never harmed me, everything he did was to protect me. He nearly killed himself saving my life, those three bullet holes? They were meant for me Chief, he stepped in front of me when the rams drew their weapons. I was stunned that officers would draw their weapons on civilians, but he moved without hesitation. And once he had dealt with everyone else, he was docile, if he wasn't so hurt I would have expected him to be playful even. You cannot just label him a savage and leave it at that sir, he's a... he's my hero sir."

The Chief was silent for a long time, his face not betraying a hint of emotion. After what felt like ages he nodded, "Very well. I'll tell one of the nurses that you need to get a sample or something, they won't argue. Don't take too long though, in and out Hopps."

"Understood, thank you Sir. I really appreciate it!"

Bogo grunted in response and walked away. After a minute the Chief walked back in and nodded in confirmation and she walked into the intensive care ward. Bogo lead her to the room and opened the door for her, "I'll be back in 5 minutes Hopps. I'll have a ride ready for you then."

Judy nodded but didn't say anything as she walked into the room, barely noticing the door slowly closing behind her. Instead her focus was on the small figure in the slightly too large bed unmoving in the corner of the room. The machine tracking his vitals was beeping away steadily, if a bit quickly. Judy approached the bed dragging a chair to it's side and hopped up looking at her fox. "When did I start thinking of you as MY fox anyway?" He had bandages wrapped around his chest and a few on his fore paws from his sprinting on all fours. It was then that she noticed that both of his paws were cuffed to the rails of his bed, her heart broke for him. Here he was, her hero, being treated like a common criminal. She understood, he was dangerous in his current state, but it didn't feel fair to her. She took his paw in her own and clutched it tightly weeping softly. His face was twitching with fear even while sleeping, "Thank you Nick, you saved my life today by risking yours. I don't know if I'll ever be able to repay that, but I know I want to spend the rest of my life trying. I... I love you Nick. I spent these last few months after the press conference missing you so much. We spent just under 48 hours together before then, but you left such an impression on this dumb bunny slick."

She tried to bring his paw up to her face, but the chains prevented that. Still sobbing slightly Judy climbed off the chair and into the bed clinging onto him, snuggling deep into the crook of his neck. It was then in between her crying that she noticed the heart monitor had slowed it's beeping. She looked over and noticed that all the vitals had dropped back into what she recalled was much closer to base line for a red fox. She leaned back and peered into Nick's face, gone was the tension and fear she had seen earlier. She nodded to herself and leaned back into his chest breathing his scent. It had been a very long, confusing, and emotionally draining day and even though literally climbing into bed with him had not even been within the realm of possibilities when the day started Judy knew there was nowhere else she'd rather be and quickly felt herself drifting off to sleep. The last thing she felt was Nick's nose rooting through her fur between her ears and she sighed in contentment.  
***

Bogo stood in the doorway trying to figure out what he was seeing. The most driven officer he'd met was cuddled up with a savage fox. His initial reaction was to charge in and pull him off of her, but he realized that that thought was backwards before he even finished thinking it. Instead he walked over to the nearest nurses station and demanded to talk to the doctor in charge of Nick's case. After just a minute a tired looking elk Bogo recognized as Dr. Grazer walked up to the nurses station, "Hello again Chief. What can I do for you?"

"Follow me please doctor." Bogo led her towards Nick's room and said, "Doctor, I want your opinion on this, but please remain calm."

Dr. Grazer nodded and looked through the doorway and gasped in shock, "Oh my! That is not what I would expect." She stepped past Bogo and quietly approached the heart monitor picking up Nick's chart along the way. "Hmmm, his doses have not been altered, his brain waves haven't changed: he's still definitely under the effects of the Night Howlers, so why has he calmed down? His vitals are much closer to what I would expect and want for an injured fox. It must be... Chief, can you please uncuff one of his paws?"

Bogo scowled at the request, but didn't argue the point. He walked over and using his key ring removed the cuff from the arm that Judy was resting on. Once it was free it slowly reached toward Hopps causing Bogo to reach for his tranq gun, but Dr. Grazer placed a hoof on his arm causing him to pause. Bogo looked back at Wilde and Hopps and noticed that he wasn't grabbing at her or attacking her, he was simply holding her in his arm. Bogo looked back at the Doctor, "What does this mean?"

Dr. Grazer shook her head, "Honestly, I have no idea. Obviously there is a connection between the two of them here, and she appears to be calming him down considerably. I've gone over the notes of the other Night Howler victims, and there is nothing like this in any of them: mates, married couples, even a father/son, they all reacted with violence. Who knows, maybe it's simply just that his life was already in danger and horribly injured when he was dosed with the serum causing it to be less effective, but, maybe I'm just a hopeless romantic..."

"Is she in any danger Doctor?"

Dr. Grazer shook her head, "No, not from him. I'd be willing to bet my life on it. The only danger she's in would be from the rumor mills being churned out if this gets out."

Bogo pondered this before deflating in a sigh, "Alright, well, let's take this one day at a time. Assign your most discreet nurse to his care and explain the situation."

"My thought's exactly Chief. For now, I want to let the two of them rest, they've both had an incredibly brutal day."

"That's putting it lightly Doctor."  
***

Judy awoke in the early hours of the day, curled up next to an incredibly fluffy pillow. She shifted a bit to try and snuggle closer and she felt the pillow pull her in tighter in response. This struck her as odd, and after a minute of debating investigating the case of the self snuggling pillow or just falling back asleep she decided to see what kind of pillow comes with arms. She dragged herself up and looked down at the bed instantly blushing deeply at the sight before her. Sharing the bed with her was a sleeping Nick, looking remarkably better than he had the night before. Judging by the state of his bandages they had been changed at least once in the night, which of course means that someone had seen the two of them sleeping together. After a few panicked moments Judy realized that she didn't care, she loved Nick and didn't give a damn who knew.

She checked the bedside clock and saw it was still 5:15 in the morning. The nurses and doctors probably wouldn't be making the rounds for at least another hour so after a quick but desperately needed trip to the bathroom Judy climbed back into bed with her fox. They would need to have a conversation or two when he was cured, all she could do was hope that he felt the same as her, though she had a deep suspicion he did.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Author's Note: Oh god, I don't know why I said I'd see you after the chapter, I have nothing else! Uh, leave a review if you want?
> 
> Oh, and have a great day!


	3. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Nick wakes up in the hospital with a fluffy companion sharing his bed.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Obligatory disclaimer that I do not own Zootopia, though I am planning a Hands Across America campaign to secure the rights.
> 
> I've read the reviews and one of the notes I received was for shorter paragraphs so I reworked parts of this chapter (thanks for the note!)
> 
> Now, all that's left is to enjoy Chapter 2!

The world came crawling back slowly and hazily to Nick. His eyes felt heavy and no matter how much he tried he couldn't get them to stay open. He wasn't in excruciating pain, but his chest ached dully and felt stiff. Nick let out a slow breath and took in the scent of the room, it certainly wasn't his place: it smelt too clean. In fact the place smelt sterile, but there was a separate soothing scent behind the sterility that caused all worry to simply melt away. He rolled his shoulders briefly and allowed himself to settle back into the soft bed and hopefully back to sleep. But just as he was getting comfortable he heard the blanket that was keeping him so warm sigh peacefully.

Nick didn't think much of it really, it kinda made sense when you stop to think about it. He probably went out last night got way too drunk (explains the dull head ache as well not remembering how he got here) and came back to some random girl's home (explains the unfamiliar bed). There was really only two issues with his hypothesis; he only went out drinking after a big successful con, and he hadn't run a scam in months, not after he left Judy at the Police Department in Sahara Square. He'd tried, but the disconnected charm that he'd used so easily for years seemed to elude him at every turn. He'd opened himself up to the bunny cop and it was hard to close that door completely again, nigh impossible.

And secondly; he wasn't one to shack up with randos, even if he'd been drinking. Foxes don't sleep around as a rule and Nick was even less likely to bed down than most. In all his years on this earth he'd only met one vixen he'd considered spending the night with, but it never panned out. Turns out it was for the best, she was prone to offer sex for doing her a favor, but almost never delivered.

All of this begs the question, who was he in bed with? He forced his eyes open, tilted his head down, and saw... her. It was Carrots: the bunny who'd turned his life upside down, opened up his heart to the world and tore it out. Nick had spent the next few weeks after the press conference moping around living off his considerable savings just thinking about how he should have done something, anything to keep her around, but it had been too late. And now she was... here, beside him, wearing what appeared to be a comfy set of pajamas.

Nick looked around for a moment trying to understand the situation when it became abundantly clear where he was: this was a hospital. He noticed that his chest had a number of bandages on it and the memories started to come back. Judy found him under the bridge, they located the Night Howler lab, and then... the museum. He started to hyperventilate remembering the noise of the guns and the feeling of bullets tearing through his chest. Then he remembered the taste of blood, his while he coughed it up and theirs as he wolfed it down. He started to heave as his stomach tried to empty itself, but it was more than empty as the hospital hadn't been giving him solid foods.

His convulsing unsurprisingly woke Judy with a start. She rubbed her eyes in confusion, "What the... NICK? Oh sweet cheese and crackers: you're awake!" She noticed his horrified expression, "Breathe Nick, you're okay, just breathe." Judy rested a paw on his bare chest feeling his heart race beneath his fur. She placed her paws on either side of his muzzle and pulled his eyes down to hers, "Look at me Nick. You're safe, you're alive, and you're going to be okay."

Nick got lost in her eyes for a moment before they were replaced with Bellwether's look of terror. Nick pushed her paws away and crawled back on the bed away from her, "You were right all along Carrots, you were right about me..."

"What?"

"I am a predator. I killed them Judy! I could have killed you!"

"Nick, what you did you did to save my life... I'm sorry you had to go through that, I was the cop and you were the civilian." Judy was careful to make sure she didn't sound like she was pitying herself and kept her voice as level as possible, "You are a hero Nick. If you weren't along for every step of this investigation we never would have found and stopped Bellwether."

Nick looked at Judy for a moment before spotting the small bandage on her ear, "If I'm such a hero why are you wearing a bandage? Christ, I didn't hurt you did I?"

Judy reached up and touched her ear after a moment almost forgetting the wound, "No Nick, Bellwether shot me before... well, before you stopped her."

Nick looked away, "Is she?"

"She's dead. I'm not sorry she's gone, but I am sorry you had to do it."

Nick felt numb, he tried to sink in on himself but Judy gently crawled onto his lap and hugged him tightly without hurting him. He tried to push her away but she refused to budge. Nick placed his paws on her shoulders to roughly shove her off, but he paused for a moment before wrapping his arms around her pulling her into his chest sobbing lightly. Judy just stroked his back softly while murmuring softly into his ear letting him know it was going to be okay.

After a few minutes of crying softly Nick calmed down a bit and took a deep steadying breath, he leaned back and begun stroking Judy's ears. She looked up at him her eyes shimmering slightly with her own tears, "Oh you foxes, so emotional..."

Nick let out a broken bark of a laugh, "Ha, well played Carrots." Nick looked at Judy straight in her eyes, "Carrots, what are you doing here?"

"Uh, well... I came to see you obviously..." Judy didn't even believe herself she sounded so unconvincing.

"Come on Carrots, out with it. I've been on my own long enough to tell when someone's holding back."

"Okay, I didn't want to worry you, but there was something wrong with you while you were out. The doctors kept you sedated while you were under the effects of the Night Howlers so you wouldn't tear your stitches, you were in really bad shape when you were out of surgery. Even sedated your vitals kept spiking, it was like you were in a constant state of panic, the doctors told me after that they were sure you were going to die of shock in a day or two. Well just after you came out of surgery I convinced Bogo to let me say goodbye to you before I left for the night and... well, I seemed to calm you down. It was a pretty exhausting day for both of us and I ended up getting into bed with you and I fell asleep." Judy felt her cheeks flush with embarrassment.

She glanced up at Nick who was grinning down at her, "Didn't realize you found me so irresistible officer. Even asleep you were throwing yourself at me."

"Come on Nick, it wasn't like that. I was just trying to thank you."

"Well if that's how you bunnies say thanks, no wonder you're all so good at multiplying."

"Very funny. I should have said comfort you."

Nick brought his paw up and resumed stroking her ears, "Well, thank you ca… Judy. Not many mammals I know would do something like that for me."

Judy reached up and stroked his cheek, "I did this because it was you. In cause you'd forgotten you saved my life and more importantly my career." the two of them chuckled at the little joke, "But seriously, there's almost nothing I wouldn't do for you at this point."

"Well, I'll try not to take too much advantage of that."

"But you will take advantage?"

"I have to Carrots, for you are a dumb bunny, and I am a sly fox." With that Nick let out a sigh and slid back down on the bed laying on his back, dragging Judy down to his side. "So, how long have I been out?"

"Two weeks and two days. I tried to contact your next of kin, but I couldn't find anyone in the system. I did tell Finnick though, he's stopped by a few times."

Nick smiled at the thought of his gruff friend doting over him in a hospital, "Not too surprised you couldn't track down my dad, even I have no idea where he is. As for my mom, she passed away years ago. My sister lives out in the country side though. She got married a couple years ago and took his name, would've made it a bit harder to find."

Nick started to blush and he didn't really want to ask the next question but he pushed on, needing to know, "Have we been sleeping in the same bed these last two weeks Judy?"

Judy buried her face in his shoulder to hide her own blush but that only served to cuddle up closer to Nick. She said something but with her entire face burred in Nick's chest he couldn't quite make out what she was saying. "Sorry carrots, you'll have to speak up."

"I said no! We only shared the bed on the first night, and that was only because I was so exhausted."

Nick grinned wickedly and gave her a look, "And how do you explain this?" he said gesturing to the two of them in bed.

"Well, I have been visiting almost every day so all your doctors and nurses know me by now. And Finnick is your emergency contact so he's been keeping me in the loop because the doctors can't no matter how much I asked. So when Finnick told me that they were administering the Night Howler cure last night I asked if I could sleep in a cot in your room so when you woke up you'd see a friendly face."

Nick looked around for a moment, "Not that I'm complaining, but I don't see a cot in here."

Judy sighed, "Never gonna live this one down I can already tell. No there is not a cot. The doctors said they'd get me one, but it never came. I tried falling asleep on one of the chairs but I couldn't get comfortable. Then around 10 or so I heard you mumbling something, I thought you might be waking up so I moved over towards the bed. Instead of you waking up you grabbed me by the waist and hauled me into your bed! I tried to wake you but you were dead to the world. After a few minutes being surrounded by warmth and in a semi-comfortable bed I guess I drifted off…" Judy's face was positively on fire by the end of her explanation.

Nick was grinning at her but didn't say anything for a few moments until he cut the silence, "What time is it carrots?" He wanted to tease her more, but decided to leave it for now.

Judy picked up her cell phone, "It's 5:45, why, you got plans today?"

"No, mostly wondering when the doctor might be in. I have several questions for them."

Judy went to hop out of bed, but Nick's arm tightened his grip, "Oh cheese and crackers, I'm so dumb! I should go and get her. She'll want to know that you're awake."

"No don't bother her, I'm actually feeling pretty tired. I'll catch a few more z's and then I'll talk with her." Nick hesitated for a moment before continuing, "Can you promise me one thing though Carrots?'

"Anything Nick."

"Promise me you'll be here when I wake up again."

Judy snuggled back up against Nick holding him tightly, "I'll always be here, always."

\- - -

Nick woke up a little later, he felt better, more aware of his mind. Slowly the conversation he had with Judy came back, god it was embarrassing, though she seemed… accepting of him, so that was something. If he lived a thousand years Nick didn't think he'd grow tired of waking up surrounded by her scent. He took a deep breath through his nose just to savor it, but that's when he realized that the comforting pressure on his side seemed to be missing. His eyes shot open and he glanced around the room, but Judy was nowhere to be found. Nick wanted to call out for her, but it felt pointless. She promised, and he trusted her and she just left him alone. Once again he was reminded that he couldn't trust anyone but himself. He curled up on himself on his side pulling into the fetal position. He was about to howl out in pain when he heard the toilet flushing in the attached bathroom. Nick froze, feeling a mixture of foolishness and shame at how easily he doubted her.

Judy made her way across the room oblivious to the turmoil Nick was putting himself through and she hopped back onto the bed. She noticed Nick curled up on himself in almost the fetal position and she snuggled up behind him and started stroking his ears as she had done regularly for the last two weeks. Nick let out a sigh and a single tear fell from his eyes, he didn't deserve her care, her affection, and yet here she was offering it freely. When she started whispering Nick's breath caught in his throat. "You're okay Nick, I have you. I won't let anything happen to you while I'm still alive, not again." She paused for a moment to catch her breath, "And I'm so sorry that I let you get hurt before…" Judy began to sob softly.

Judy was stunned when suddenly Nick spun around and wrapped her up in a hug, pulling her tightly into his chest. The two of them simply hugging each other without words sobbing quietly while holding on for what felt like dear life. Nick leaned back after what felt like a long time: he had cried out all his anguish, self loathing, and fear. Judy locked eyes with him, the one mammal in all of Zootopia who made her feel safe and wanted, the mammal who's body heat she'd been sharing for the night, who's scent she thought she could no longer live without. The two of them looked deep into each others eyes for a long moment before they both moved towards each other wrapping their arms around the other once again.

As Nick let out a sigh of contentment Judy spoke up, "Nick, we really should get the doctor at some point."

"We will Carrots, just 5 more minutes, then we'll get them."

Judy sighed and relaxed into his arm closing her eyes. "Fine, I suppose 5 more minutes would be okay."

"Thank you Judy." Nick rolled onto his side and Judy moved to hop off the bed but he moved her arm to hold her, "You don't need to sit in that uncomfortable chair if you don't want to. This bed is plenty big enough."

Judy stayed silent, and snuggled into the crook of his shoulder getting comfortable. Nick for his part was panicking on the inside, why in Karma's good name did he suggest she say in bed with him? As his eyes drifted shut he decided that it didn't matter at the time, and as long as they were both comfortable, (both physically and emotionally) it wouldn't ever really matter.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Did you know that Fetial was a type of priest in Ancient Rome? Cause my spell check did... glad I caught it before I uploaded it.
> 
> Somewhat amusing anecdote aside, thank you for reading, for subscribing, for the kudos, and for the reviews! It means a lot to me. :)


	4. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Nick and Judy have to start dealing with other mammals including Judy's boss...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Double upload today to make up for ignoring AO3 so much. I started reading and writing on that other site so I always default back to that...
> 
> I do not own Zootopia.

Nick woke up hearing something opening the door to his hospital room. He blearily opened his eyes and leaned up to look over who it was not noticing that he was leaning protectively over Judy, shielding her sleeping body with his own. After a moment the doctor came into focus looking somewhat surprised, "Oh, Mr. Wilde, you're awake? I expected Miss Hopps to call us when you woke up… no matter, how are you feeling?"

Nick was taken aback for a moment, it wasn't every day that someone spoke to him with such tenderness in their voice, usually most mammals treated him with suspicion. "Uhh, pretty good all things considered doc. Bit stiff in the chest, but actually much better than I'd expect with three bullet wounds, must be tougher than I gave myself credit for. I'll be back on my feet in a couple days no sweat."

The elk chuckled at that, "I'd prefer it if you took it a bit easy for more than the next few days Mr. Wilde."

"Call me Nick, my dad is Mr. Wilde, and I haven't seen him since he went out for that pack of cigarettes about twenty years ago… man, where is he? He should have been back by now." Nick flashed a wicked grin at that little joke and the doctor tried her best to not laugh at his antics.

Before she spoke back up Judy began to stir, Nick looked down at his sleeping companion with a smile. Before she opened her eyes Judy reached up and wrapped her arms around his neck pulling him into a hug burying her face into the fur on his chest. Nick tried to say something but he was taken aback for a moment as his brain was momentarily turned to mush. After just a second Nick regained his composure, "Good morning Carrots, would you mind letting me go so I can speak with the nice doctor?"

Judy's eyes shot open and whipped her head towards the foot of the bed where the doctor was looking over Nick's charts, "Oh sweet cheese and crackers. Uhhh you can go ahead and forget everything you just saw, and heard… and that I exist in general."

The doctor looked on in amusement, "Don't worry Miss Hopps, I make it a habit to only discuss actual medical information within the hospital. Though if you could refrain from handling my patient so roughly I'd appreciate it."

Judy let go of Nick's neck and burred her face in her paws nodding slightly. Nick laughed at their antics and rubbed the top of her head between her ears lightly before adjusting the bed to a sitting position with a sigh, "Well doc, anything else I can do for you today?"

"Well yes actually Nickolas, I have a series of questions I'd like to ask, and I need to go over your stats. If that's okay?"

Nick nodded, "Of course, ask away doc."

The doctor pulled up a chair and looked over at his monitor jotting a few things down on the chart she picked up from the foot of the bed. After a moment and a few 'Hmms' and 'Ahs' she looked up, "So, how would you say you're emotional state is currently? Any unusual aggression, or fears? Anything that seems out of the usual could be important."

"Hmm no, not really. My emotional state is fine. No aggression, fear…" he thought about how he broke down after finding Judy missing. "er, yeah, maybe slightly more fear than normal."

"Would you care to elaborate?"

Nick looked away, he'd never been overly comfortable speaking on his feelings, and now with Judy and this doctor it took him a moment to open up, "I woke up this morning and Judy was here, this was about 5:30. We talked for a bit and I fell back asleep. But I woke up about an hour later or so and she was gone. I… I thought she had left, more specifically had left me. Judy promised that she'd stay and when I found she wasn't around, I thought I'd never see her again. Mammals have abused my trust for as long as I can remember, and I expected more of the same."

Nick was looking Judy in the eyes at this ignoring the doctor completely, "I should have realized that she is nothing like any other mammal I've ever met and she has more than earned my trust." He whispered into her ear, "I'm sorry carrots, I shouldn't have doubted you."

"It's okay Nick, I was one of the mammals who hurt you, but never again."

Nick stroked the back of her neck and smiled, "Alright, I think you can cross fear off this list."

The doctor rolled her eyes, "You're both lucky this is such an interesting case, I'm not usually called on to be a therapist."

Nick shot her a guilty look, "Sorry doc, you now have my undivided attention."

"Well your charts look great, you're actually healing much faster than I'd expect for your wounds. It seems like Night Howlers have an effect on cellular growth. Truly fascinating…" The doctor stared off into the middle distance for a moment before shaking her head, "Regardless, it's good to see you starting to recover. I'll have one of the nurses bring up a menu, you must be starving. You'll want to take your first solid meal slowly though, great way to get a crippling stomach ache."

Nick nodded and spoke up, "Thank you Dr. Grazer, it seems you've taken great care of me."

The elk smiled, "I barely did anything, Judy here took better care of you with just her presence than anyone else in the whole hospital. Excluding the surgeons who stitched you back together I suppose."

After the doctor closed the door behind herself leaving the room Judy looked up at Nick, "How'd you know her name? I didn't tell you and I didn't hear her introduce herself…"

Nick smiled and let out a deep breath laying back down, "It was written on her lab coat Carrots. You have to keep your eyes on the little details if you want to make it as a hustler these days. It's that same attention to detail that allowed me to have all the paperwork for my pawpsicle hustle."

Judy smiled at that, "Funny you should mention an eye for details, it's a skill that's also important for police officers."

"Hmm, I suppose it would be wouldn't it."

Judy reached over the edge of the table grabbing a small tote bag from the nightstand pulling out a small yellow piece of paper. She unfolded it before handing it over to Nick, "I would still like you as my partner slick. You'd make a great cop, and we'd make a great team."

"Are you sure Judy, you want me watching over you?"

"I don't want anyone else Nick. You're the partner I want."

He smiled at the bunny who still believed in him, "Thank you Judy, I'd be honored to be your partner, if you'll have me."

She squealed at that and threw herself at her fox hugging him tightly and laughing.

"Is this the same form I filled out before? It looks familiar."

"Yes it is, I kept it with me these last 3 months. I couldn't bare to get rid of it…"

Nicks face turned dark at the mention of their time spent apart. "Judy, I'm sorry I left you at the press conference. I was hurt and instead of talking to you about it I moved like I was going to attack you, even after what you had told me on the gondola. I screwed everything up!"

Judy had tears threatening to spill at his words, "Are you kidding Nick? I was a spiciest jerk so many times to you! The only reason I followed you into the ice cream shop was because I thought you were looking shifty. Then I blackmailed you to help me with a dangerous case, then after all that I betrayed your trust at the press conference. I don't blame you for your reaction Nick, I blame myself."

Nick scooped up his (his?) depressed bunny and brought her into a hug, "We both made mistakes Carrots, but it worked out in the end."

As the two of them sat up in the bed waiting for the promised menu to arrive a quiet knock sounded on the door. Nick looked at the door while Judy's ears flipped up and faced the same direction. She cocked her head to the side for a moment of confusion before she whispered into Nick's ear, "I think it's the Chief. I can tell him you're still asleep if you don't want to talk to him."

Nick replied, "No it's okay Carrots, I'll have to talk to him at some point, might as well be now." He took a breath and called out, "Come on in Chief."

If Chief Bogo was surprised at Nick knowing who was on the other side of the door he didn't show it. He stepped into the room and stood at the foot of the bed looking at the two mammals who's ancestors would have been mortal enemies almost snuggled up together in silence. After a long moment Nick opened his mouth to talk but the buffalo cut him off, "I owe you an apology, both of you. I represent the ZPD and not only did I not try to help either of you when you needed us most, I actively hindered you, putting your lives and the city of Zootopia itself at risk, all because I couldn't see past my preconceived notions. No, let's call a spade a spade: my own prejudices."

Bogo fell silent for a moment but the two sharing the bed guessed he wasn't done talking. Sure enough after a few moments he continued, "The only reason I haven't turned in my badge after this 'Nighthowler Incident' is because I felt it'd be better to not have to replace the Chief of Police at the same time as finding another interim mayor, but I think that's just an excuse. And on top of it all there were a few of her co-conspirators working in my police stations." Chief Bogo reached up to his chest and pulled off his badge looking at it in his hooves.

Bogo moved to set it down on a nearby table but Nick spoke up first, "Don't set that badge down just yet Chief. You're not wrong that what you did to Carrots and myself was horrible, almost criminal, and I should know; I made a carrier by being almost criminal." Bogo's face fell even further at that, "That being said, you are apologizing. Do you have any idea how many mammals would have done the same thing you did, said the same things you did? Countless… but only a few would feel badly about it once they realized their mistake, and only one in a million would actually admit their mistake, especially to my face." Nick gently squeezed Judy's paw at that, silently thanking her again. "I don't want you to quit Chief, I believe you're a good mammal trying to do your best. So thank you for coming, and apology accepted."

Chief Bogo looked at Nick completely astonished, "Just like that? After everything I've said and done, you will just accept my apology?"

Nick smiled and said, "Sure, I've accepted a similar apology from my best friend not that long ago, it'd be hypocritical of me not to accept yours just because you're not as cute as she is." Nick's signature smirk was plastered on his face as Bogo's scowl worked it's way back on to his, both of them failing to notice the blush on Judy's face. "Besides, I think the greatest punishment for you would for you to be my new boss." Nick presented his application to the Chief.

Bogo took the application and looked it over for a moment, "This is… well I don't know what to make of this. I take it this is your idea Hopps?"

Judy sat up at being addressed, "Yes sir! Nick and I worked well together during both investigations, nothing would have been done without our strengths and weaknesses playing off each other. Besides, ZPD regulations requires all patrol officers to have a partner, and it'd be very convenient to have a partner the same size category as me." Judy took a deep breath and squeezed Nick's paw before continuing, "And to be honest sir, I can't think of anyone else I'd rather have watching my back.

"And as for the few rams that were working with Bellwether? Sir: she was the assistant mayor for years and then the acting mayor. Getting a few of her men situated where she needed them, or even corrupting mammals would be easy enough, you can't blame yourself for that."

Bogo's face was blank for a long moment before he finally replied, "Well Wilde, I was never able to slap you in steel cuffs, but being able to pin you down with a brass shield is just as good I suppose. I won't do you any favors though, if you want to be paired off with Hopps you'll need to score in the top 10% of your class." Spotting Nick's inquisitive look at that Bogo explained briefly, "Savanna Central is the heart of Zootopia, and at Precinct 1, we only accept the best of the best, and that'll have to be you, same as everyone else."

Nick didn't hesitate, "If that's what it takes, that's what I'll do. I want to help people Chief, and I want to do it with Hopps."

"Okay then, I'll file the necessary paperwork. The doctors said you should be able to be discharged in a few days, but I'll want a doctors note stating you're at 100% before you ship out. The next academy session starts in about a month and runs for 3. Now if there's nothing else?" Nick and Judy just shook their heads, "Then I'll bid you both a good day. Hopps I expect to see you in the bullpens first thing Monday Morning." Bogo grabbed the handle to the door but paused before opening it speaking softly, "Thank you both, not only for what you did for the city, but for me as well. I'll make sure your faith isn't misplaced."

Bogo closed the door softly behind himself, after a moment Nick and Judy both let out a breath they didn't realize they were holding. Judy was the first to break the silence, "Nick, the Chief just apologized. Like that actually happened right? That wasn't just me hallucinating?"

"No Carrots, that definitely just happened. Karma save me I was so nervous, I swear he gets bigger and scarier every time I see him! Still, I can't imagine that going better. Never imagined that he'd ever apologize to someone like me." Nick got quiet at that and bowed his head in shame.

He may have gotten lost inside his own head until he felt a paw gently touch the side of his muzzle directing his gaze towards Judy, "Chin up Slick, you're worth apologizing to. The fact that more mammals would be too hateful to admit it says way more about them than it does you, never forget that."

"Thank you Judy, you keep saying things like that and I might just start believing it." he replied with a rueful grin.

"Well then, I guess I'll never stop telling you."

Nick paused for a second and asked softly, "You really mean it don't you?"

She flashed him a blinding smile that caused his heart to skip a beat, "I do, 100%. Oh and before I forget," she batted his arm lightly, "don't call me cute!"

Nick looked at her feigning ignorance, "I don't know what you're talking about Carrots. I have not once said, 'You are cute Judy Hopps' no matter how true it may, or may not be."

"Thin ice slick. I'm talking about when you said, and I quote: 'just because you're not as cute as she is.'"

Nick smiled, "Wow, pretty conceited of you to think that just because I mentioned a cute girl you assume I'm talking about you."

Judy raised an eyebrow, "Were you."

"Yes I was, 100%"

Judy sighed trying to ignore how happy she was to hear him call her cute, "And by the way, what did the chief mean when he said he was never able to slap you in cuffs?"

"Come on Carrots, you couldn't think you were to first cop to stumble upon one of my hustles. Bogo caught me selling knock off hand bags a number of years ago, I think he was a Lieutenant then."

Judy smiled unamused, "And knowing you: you had a piece of paper in your back pocket making it all just barely legal."

"Right you are Fluff. I had import papers stating that they were not knock offs but in fact very legitimate hand bags… in China. They probably could have still arrested me, but with all the paperwork I had, I could easily claim I thought I'd done nothing wrong. I bought bags from a Chinese exporter, and was selling them at a slight markup. They did ban the exporter from the local docks though, had to move on to a different hustle after that. Of course, if they had realized the amount I had brought in I'd have been screwed."

Judy chuckled, "Wow slick, I might want to rethink my choice in partners after that. Though I do only have two questions: how much was the mark up? And how many did you bring in?"

The thought of lying never even crossed the tod's mind, "300%. And each shipment was only 10 bags keeping it way too low to get any of the authorities to care. There were about 120 shipments in total before I was found out."

Judy was stunned, she knew Nick had toed the line of the law, but this was a clear case of him breaking it. For a moment she wanted to feel upset by the news, but instead she only felt happy. Happy that he would tell her, and happy that he was willing to walk away from his daily life of apparent great money. Because of that she simply laughed and said, "I can't believe you walked out from under Bogo's investigation smelling like roses and I had you confessing to federal tax evasion in less than 24 hours of meeting you!"

Nick laid back down on his bed letting out a tired sigh, "Yeah, well, Bogo never tried hustling me." He tried to keep the pouting out of his voice and was mostly successful. As the two sat back sharing a laugh at Nick's expense a nurse came walking into the room with a menu.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Wow, Bogo's soft side eh? Plus we got to see a bit into Nick's shady past.
> 
> Next time we'll get a bit of emotional stuff when we find out a little of what Nick was up to for the 3 months he and Judy were separated.
> 
> As always thank you sooooo much for the kudos and subscribers! I've been reading the reviews a few people have left and they all make me smile each time I do.


	5. Chapter 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A doctor comes to discuss what Nick was feeling whist under the effects of the Night Howler serum.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Author's Notes:
> 
> I still need spellcheck to spell author correctly... if that's not a ringing endorsement of my writing skill I don't know what is. Oh and I don't own Zootopia!

Somewhere around noon two days after Nick woke up, Judy was sitting on the foot of the bed using one of Nick's pillow as a back rest. Nick was dying to find out how Zootopia was doing after the fall of Bellwether. According to Judy the tapes were released the day after the encounter in the museum taking a lot of wind out of the sails of the Anti-Pred protests. She was also apart of a prerecorded press release talking about how there was a mammal made compound that was responsible for the savage mammal attacks, it had nothing to do with biology of DNA. The details given were light as they didn't want to reveal anything about the making of the Night Howler serum. Thankfully she'd been given some actual coaching before this press taping so she was much more confident and she even remembered to mention Nick had helped her solve the case (though not by name thankfully) .

As they were smiling to each other in one of the lulls in conversation there was a knock on the door, after Nick called, "Come in." a large timber-wolf stepped inside the room. He scanned the two other occupants for a few moments before he introduced himself, "Good afternoon, I am Dr. Lunas. How are you feeling today Mr. Wilde?"

Nick looked at the wolf questioningly, "I'm good doc, is this a social call? I don't believe you are my primary doctor or on her staff…"

The wolf smiled ruefully, Nick was taken aback at the amount of teeth he displayed. "Well, not your medical doctor no. Officer Hopps, I have to ask you to leave the room if you wouldn't mind?"

Nick moved to say that she could stay, but Judy had already hopped off the bed and said, "Of course Dr. Lunas! I'm going to stretch my legs for a bit slick, text me when you're done, I'll bring you something to eat. What are you hungry for?"

"Would you be okay with getting me fish?" Judy nodded seemingly completely unfazed, "You're the best Carrots! There's a shop, Antonio's, just around the corner. Just get whatever's on special today and I'll be the happiest tod in the world."

Judy smiled back at Nick and stepped out of the room. Nick didn't want to be the first one to speak so he sat there silently looking at the doctor, his mask of casual indifference firmly in place. The wolf just stood there casually making the occasional note on his charts which Nick now noticed he brought in with him instead of using the charts on his bed. The wolf moved towards the bed and casually picked up the pillow Judy had been using. The moment he picked it up his eyebrows hopped up in surprise, "Oh, well that is unexpected."

Nick replied evenly, "What's unexpected doc? That my friend was using a pillow as a back rest?"

"No Mr. Wilde, your reaction is the surprise. Look at yourself: your upper lip is trying to raise, the hair on the back of your neck is sticking up, and your eyes haven't left me since I walked in the room. You are acting as a territorial male fox would… over his mate, simply because I picked up a pillow she was using. Though I suspect it has more to do with her scent all over it."

Nick took a deep breath in a failed attempt to calm himself down, "What are you a doctor of exactly?"

"I study ancient mammals, (specifically ancient canines), behavioral patterns. I have been studying the Nighthowler affected mammals since they've been discovered by yourself and Officer Hopps. You of course were one of the mammals I was studying while you were dosed. You behaved as one would expect of a savage predator with one key exception: you were hell bent on saving a bunny named Judy Hopps. Of course you were kept in a medically induced coma so we only have a few behaviors that we were told of and were able to observe for ourselves. You killed those who threatened her, you were uneasy whenever she wasn't around and if she was in the room with you, even while you were in a coma you would turn your nose towards her seeking out her scent. It's all truly fascinating."

Nick didn't like where this was going, "Okay sure, I went above and beyond to protect my friend but that's it. Besides I was out of my mind on Nighthowler, my actions were out of my control right?"

The wolf pulled one of the chairs closer to the bed and sat down, "Sure, while you were under the affects of Nighthowler you may have been acting beyond your control, but what about before? Of course that means you were in your right mind when you stepped in front of three bullets for your… friend, doesn't it?"

Nick had no response so he sat in silence, thinking about what the wolf was saying. As much as he didn't want to admit it, the wolf was on to something. Nick knew he felt more for Judy than he cared to admit, but that was his problem, she would never have to know.

The wolf spoke again, "Mr. Wilde, I'd like to ask you a question."

Nick replied softly, "Call me Nick… Mr. Wilde is my father."

"Okay then Nick, how long have you loved Miss Hopps?"

"Officer Hopps. She didn't go through the academy to be call Miss, right doctor?"

"You're right of course. You're dodging the question, but you're right. So: how long have you loved Officer Hopps?" Nick wanted nothing more than to lie through his teeth: to tell the wolf he'd never felt that way about her, but he couldn't bring himself to say it. Dr. Lunas saw him struggling and offered up, "All of this falls under doctor/patient confidentially Nick. I won't talk about what we discuss here today. I will be writing up a paper about a savage predator who displayed non hostile tendencies, but no name, species, or even gender will be mentioned, you have my word."

Nick met the eyes of the doctor, stared into them for a long time and what he saw in there was earnest honesty. It frightened him that he actually believed the doctor, obviously his bunny had torn his defenses down more than he'd thought. "I don't… *sigh* two months. You saw the press conference she gave after she found the missing savage mammals?" The wolf nodded so Nick pressed on, "Well, we argued immediately after she stepped off the stage. I took offence to her statement and in a moment of anger I… I moved as if I'd attack her with my claws and fangs and she moved to defend herself. I saw that movement as a sign that she didn't really trust me. It hurt, more that I would have expected."

"I left after that, turned around and walked out; I never wanted to see her again. Well I got my wish for a while, I didn't see hide nor hair (no pun intended) of her for about a month. Tension was building in the city, but I ignored it for the most part, I convinced myself that it wasn't my problem. Then one night I was in a pred bar and as I was searching for comfort in a bottle of cheep whiskey. As I was sitting there, three sheets to the wind I see her. She wasn't in the bar of course, she was on the TV. They were reporting on one of the Pro-Pred rallies and she was there holding a line of prey back from attacking. She looked… bad: tired, sad, just run down, but she was still fighting for what she thought Zootopia could be, and there I was, sitting on my tail, drinking myself to death."

"I was a moment away from throwing my glass through the TV, I didn't want to be reminded of my weakness, how I chose to leave, but I heard a group of bears behind me saying something about how they'd 'like to teach that dumb bunny a lesion'. I snapped, I crushed the glass within my paw and I wheeled around to face them. I wasn't thinking, if I was I wouldn't have jumped off my stool into 3 angry bears. I woke up a few hours later in a pile of garbage with a broken jaw and cuts and bruises all over."

"The whole time I was laying in the hospital bed getting my jaw wired shut I kept thinking about how stupid it was for me to get involved. I should have just let them say their piece and gone about my day. Instead I'd be drinking through a straw for the next month and a half. As the painkillers took me for a ride… I realized I did it because of her. Not for her mind you, I wasn't defending her honor or anything like that, I did it because she was the change she wanted to see in the city and I, deep down, I wanted to change too."

"Of course by the time I got my jaw unwired and my courage up she'd already left back to Bunnyborough. I told myself it was a sign, if Zootopia broke her then what chance did I have to change what I was supposed to be? Then she came back, tracked me down and apologized, and we saved the city." Nick felt light after getting all that off his chest. "Wow doc, you're good. Has anyone ever told you that you should be a shrink?"

The doctor smiled briefly, "Once or twice. Thank you for sharing Mr. Wilde, I know that must have been hard. Now how would you like a change of topic?" Nick nodded emphatically, "Great! Then could you tell me how you felt when you were first dosed with the Nighthowler serum?"

Nick fell silent for a moment, then remembering what the doctor said about confidentially he spoke up, "I've hurt mammals doc, I told myself it was never more than I had to, but I hurt them none the less. The worst was usually them ending up in a hospital for a few days, one wolf was in traction for a while, but that was it. I'm not proud of that fact, it simply is the truth. I've never killed anyone before."

Dr. Lunas cut in, "Nick, you didn't kill anyone, the Night Howler serum did."

Nick locked eyes with the wolf, "You're wrong, I did kill them. I knew there was a good chance they'd die if I dosed myself, in fact I was planning on it. My only thought was hoping that they'd finish me off before I got to Judy, or she'd wake up and fight me off in my weakened state, or any other number of out comes. I knew for her to make it out they'd have to be dealt with, so I choose to deal with them."

The room was filled was silence for a moment before Dr. Lunas asked, "Do you think there's a better way that situation could have played out?"

Nick thought, "No, I was too weak from the blood loss and Judy was still unconscious. Once they had the Night Howler pellet they would have finished us off without a second thought. I… I think I made the best choice out of the options available, but I never wanted to kill anyone. I hustled pawpsicle for years because I was sick of hurting mammals."

"I'm not happy they're dead, but I'd kill a hundred more to keep Judy safe."

Dr. Lunas placed a paw on Nick's shoulder, "Nick, from where I'm sitting, you did the right thing. We canines would do anything to protect our mates, it's who we are. Though just knowing rationally that you did the right thing won't make it any easier. I recommend talking with a therapist about your guilt, or anyone you trust really, it'll help you work through it."

"Now, if you're feeling up to it, Could you tell me how you felt when you were first dosed with the serum?"

Nick explained as best he could his thoughts and emotions during the encounter. He mostly didn't remember much: adrenaline combined with severe blood loss were not conducive to long term memories being formed. But there were a few things he recalled, the feeling of his body tensing up, the smell of gunpowder, Judy crying out when she was shot, just little snippets here and there. The doctor continued to ask questions and Nick answered as best he could.

***

A little over an hour after she left the room Judy's phone chimed a notification:

N: Hey Carrots! The doctor's just about done so come on back whenever you're ready.

J: Ok Slick. I'll be up in a few minutes!

N: I can't wait to see you again Carrots.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Author's Notes:
> 
> We got another glimpse of the guilt that Nick is carrying around.
> 
> This chapter came to me a bit after I wrote a few others so it's a little shorter than the rest. :)


	6. Chapter 5

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Nick and Judy arrive at his house and he get's to show of a little bit.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Longest Chapter GET! Alright so this chapter was a ton of fun to write. A lot of authors have a very different view of how Nick lives and I like a lot of those takes, and I think mine is okay too. I also decided not to make Finnick a total POS but also not exactly best friend material.
> 
> I'll see you after the chapter.

Nick was let out of the hospital in a wheel chair being pushed by a very determined bunny. Judy wasn't overly happy about helping him leave the hospital as early as he was, but the doctors were technically not objecting so she supposed it wasn't such a big deal. Nick on the other paw was ecstatic to finally be out of that building, to be out in the streets he knows and loves, surrounded by the familiar scents and unfamiliar mammals. He felt his mask of casual indifference falling back into place, causing him to feel comfortable: like putting on an old set of clothes. Of course, it fell off the moment Judy touched his arm signaling him to stand up, the moment her paw laid on his arm he started grinning at her like an idiot with his tail wagging happily in the chair.

Nick pulled himself onto his feet and waved goodbye to the nurse who came out with the two of them. The young bear nurse smiled without saying a word, picked up the wheelchair in one massive paw and made his way back into the hospital. Nick and Judy just stood there smiling at each other until a van playing some rap track slightly too loud pulled up to the entrance and a small fennec fox rolled down the window. He, as always, seemed to be in a somewhat fowl mood, "Well, if it isn't my ex-partner and officer toot-toot. Get in, I'm losing money just hanging around here, and unlike you Wilde, I still need the cash."

Nick opened the door, "Hey, it's not my fault you were always terrible with money." Judy nudged him softly, "But thank you Fin, I'll pay for today's lost wages if it makes you feel better."

Fin narrowed his eyes for a moment, "Keep your money Wilde, but maybe I'll cash in a favor someday."

Judy helped Nick step up into the van and he turned around to pull the bunny up along side him. Even recovering as he was, he was more than strong enough to lift her up completely by her arms causing Judy to let out a light "eep". He set her down with a light smirk on his face, it was clear he enjoyed man-handling her, much to her embarrassment. The two strapped into their seats (Finnick's van being converted from a larger mammal's vehicle class there were 4 bucket seats in the front). Finnick noticed all this of course but decided to keep his mouth shut for the moment.

As they pulled out of the hospital and onto one of the highways in Zootopia Judy asked something she hadn't considered before, "Wait, where are we headed? I actually don't even know where you live Nick…"

Nick smiled at her, "What do you mean Carrots? You've seen my place once already."

"Oh, don't tell me you live under that bridge do you Nick?!" Her voice was heartbroken as she said that.

Nick had wanted to tease her, but her expression, and the sadness in her voice took the wind out his sails, "No, I just like to hang out there on occasion. I actually live in one of the warehouses nearby the bridge." Judy looked a little incredulous at that, "Hey, it's not as bad as it sounds!"

Judy smirked at him, "No it sounds great. My best friend and future partner is just squatting at some abandoned warehouse is all."

"Did I say I was squatting? No, no I did not."

"Don't forget Nick, I looked up your file during the Missing Mammal case, nothing in there had a listing for a warehouse or any permanent residence for that matter."

"Ah, but did you look up WildeTimes LTD.?"

"WildeTimes? No, nothing like that came up."

"Well, WildeTimes is my company. It owns the warehouse not me. As far as living there? Well I knew a few mammals in the Zoning Department of Zootopia and they were able to get my address zoned specially."

Judy let out a non-committal "hmm" but didn't press further instead looking out the window at the traffic and buildings sailing by. She wasn't sure she liked the idea of Nick living in some abandoned warehouse, but she trusted him completely: if he said his living conditions were fine then they were. After a few minutes riding around Finnick pulled off the main road and parked the van on a very familiar stone bridge.

Nick opened his door and went to thank the fennec driver, but he was cut off, "Hey red, I need to talk to cotton tail for a minute. You go on ahead and I'll walk her over when we're ready."

Nick narrowed his eyes dangerously, he didn't like the sound of whatever it was Finnick planned to say, before he could voice his displeasure though Judy placed her paw on his arm, "It's fine Nick. This will give you a minute to clean up anyway."

"Hey, I'm not some slob! Though I guess I've been away for a bit, it might be a good idea to let the place breathe for a bit yeah. Fin, don't say anything you'll regret later…" Finnick nodded and pulled out a pack of cigarettes lighting one up as Nick turned back to Judy, "Don't let him push your buttons Carrots, that's my job."

Judy smiled up at him and replied, "Har har, get going Slick." Nick hopped out of the van grunting slightly as he landed. Straitening his back out he set off towards his warehouse looking back with suspicion once, but he didn't stop.

As soon as Nick was out of sight Finnick opened his door without a word and hopped out as well leaving Judy alone until she followed suit and stepped out after him. He didn't walk far, just to edge of the bridge where he scrambled up and sat down facing Judy just about eye to eye. Judy waited to hear what he had to say, but she didn't have to wait long. He took a deep drag of his cigarette, exhaled through his nose in what sounded like an exacerbated sigh before he said quietly, "You have a lot of fucking nerve you know that?"

Judy knew whatever he was going to say wasn't going to be totally pleasant, but this did take her by surprise, "Excuse me?"

"You heard me! You have a lot of nerve showing back up after what you did to Nick. You almost killed him."

Judy felt guilty at that, remembering the bandages she found him in when she saw him here last, not to mention the three bullets he took for her. "I saw what happened to him, his injuries were bad, but they weren't life threatening. And I never meant for him to get hurt going after the Night Howlers."

Finnick shook his head, "Not that dumbass. Nick's been injured before, a few times worse than that even, but that's not what I'm talking about. When he left after the press-conference he was different, broken. He stopped the hustles, blew me off more often then not, and got his ass beat by mammals who wouldn't have laid a paw on him before. He was wasting away before my very eyes, and you did that to him!"

Judy had tears running down her face matting the fur on her cheeks, "I know! I know I messed up, I tore the city in half, threw predators under the bus, and worst of all I betrayed Nick."

"You don't know the half of it, but yeah that's the gist. When I sent you here, I was hoping Nick would send you packing, give him some closure and let him move on. Course that plan backfired horrifically, Nick ended up getting shot and got dosed with Nighthowler." Finnick took another drag of his cigarette and continued, "Still, I don't think I've seen him smile this much in years, if ever. And even after you broke him, he'd still smile when he looked at that stupid pen of yours."

Judy was crying even harder now, but her voice was clear when she replied, "I never meant to hurt him Finnick and I promise I'll never hurt him again. When I left for Bunnyburrow I didn't sleep, I barely ate, and I'd go days at a time without stepping outside. What I had done didn't just break him, we both fell apart from the sounds of it."

Finnick hopped off the wall and started off towards the warehouse, "Glad to hear it, cause if you break his heart again it will kill him. And he won't die alone, you get me?"

Instead of being frightened by the thinly veiled threat Judy felt happy knowing the little fox did care so much for his friend, "I got you Finnick. You don't have to worry."

"Ugh, call me Fin. Only my mom calls me Finnick."

***

While the two of them were off having their heavier than anticipated conversation Nick was wondering around the repurposed offices. When he bought the warehouse originally he'd learned that it was owned and primarily operated by large cats, lions, tigers and such so even small offices were large rooms to him. We walked from room to room opening all the doors and windows he could to allow the place to breath a little. He checked on the smells and thankfully other then a light musty scent in the kitchen especially from the fridge the air was mostly just stale smelling. After his first walk-through he made his way back into his bedroom and pulled the sheets off the bed carrying them over to his laundry room, he'd start the load later. He made his way back to the living room and climbed up onto the wolf sized couch. The table and chairs in his kitchen are all the right size form him, but the comfy furniture: couch, bed, an armchair, are all over-sized for the excess luxury, just with the legs cut short or removed to make summiting them easier.

He scooted back and leaned into the back of the couch closing his eyes and letting out a deep breath. He'd been tense most of the time he was awake in the hospital, and sleep was hard to come by. Nick was hoping that now that he was home, surrounded by familiar sights, smells, and sounds the unease would fade away. To a small extent it did, but there was still a piece of unease nagging at the back of his mind. He knew what it was, Dr. Lunas made it very clear what his struggle was, he just didn't want to admit it.

He loved Judy Hopps, no ifs, ands, or buts. Nick wanted to believe that she felt similarly, he had some evidence to support that, she spent days visiting him in the hospital, climbed into bed with him a few times if he believed her (which he did), and she was here now, visiting a fox in his den. Nick had never heard of a bunny visiting a fox at its home before but he decided it was a good sign.

As he was getting comfortable and beginning to relax he heard voices approaching the door. He gingerly hopped off the couch and walked over to the door throwing it open with a big smile on his face just as Judy and Fin were about to knock. "Welcome Carrots, to Casa de Nick. Sorry if it's a bit messy, I don't get too many visitors." Nick paused as he noticed her fur was slightly matted below her now red eyes. His voice was deathly cold as he spoke again, "Fin, we've know each other for a looong time so I'll let you answer this question before I lay you out on your tail: why was Judy crying?" Nick was quivering slightly as he stood in his doorway, though if Fin was feeling nervous he didn't show it.

Judy knew that an aggressive predator should have made her nervous, especially Nick who had shown he was more than capable in a fight but she felt none of that fear as she walked up to Nick and placed a paw softly on his now heaving chest, "Nick it's fine. He didn't say anything I didn't need to hear okay? Besides, do you really think that I'd what? Let him bully me or something? You should know me better than that Slick."

Nick's anger faded faster than it came on, "I… you're right Judy, I do know you better that that, sorry. Sorry to you too Fin, I should have realized you wouldn't say anything that didn't need saying." Fin seemed unmoved by any of this but Nick pressed on, "You're my friend Fin, I know I don't say it enough, but it's true."

That last statement did take Fin by surprise and it showed as his eyebrows shot up. He took a moment but he did reply, "You're damn right Wilde, you should have known better. But as your friend I'll let it slide… this time. Now, I wasn't lying when I said you were costing me money, I'll be going."

Nick nodded, "Sure I can't convince you to come in for a beer? They'll be a bit stale but cold."

"Some other time Nick." Fin turned around but before he took a step he said something else, "I'm glad you're okay Nick, even if officer toot toot ruined you. I'll come back for that beer in a couple of days, chau… amigo."

Nick smiled as his oldest friend walked away towards his van. He then turned to Judy, "Well Carrots, would you care to come in for a minute?"

"Of course Slick, I'd love to."

Nick walked stepped back and swept his arms open welcoming the smaller mammal into his home. Judy walked inside and took a look around noticing straight away how large the place really was. The closest corner was taken up by the offices, beyond that were the warehouse bay doors with some things covered by cloth tarps (she'd have to ask about that later), the other far corner was what she thought she recognized as boxing gear as well as some exercise equipment and finally the last corner was full of random stuff, she couldn't make heads or tails of their purpose. There were coolers, wagons, filing cabinets, cameras, crates, and book shelves full of thick books and binders.

Nick stepped beside her closing the door behind them, "Well, I'll give you the full tour later, but for now let's head to the offices, I was getting comfy on my couch which I have missed very very much. The hospital was nice enough, but their furniture leaves a lot to be desired."

The two of them walked the short distance to the offices and when Nick opened the door Judy mouth was left agape. She had expected to see a number of white sheetrock walls with a few pieces of furniture here and there, but what she found within was more akin to what she would have expected to see when coming home to Bunnyburrow. The walls all had wooden crowning and baseboard, the plain office doors were replaced with ornate wooden ones. The door they had entered through led into what she figured was the living room and it was massive, at least 20 feet by 30, there was a large screen TV as well as a couch with a matching arm chair. There was a hallway leading off to the right, and to their left was a kitchen with a full range of appliances as well as an island with a set of tall chairs surrounding it.

Judy walked into the living room and slowly spun in a circle, when she was facing Nick again his eyes were dancing with smug merriment, he clearly enjoyed seeing her so surprised. After a moment Judy found her voice again, "Nick, how on earth did you ever afford all of this? It must have cost a fortune!"

"I've told you before Carrots, I know everyone. A few mammals I've helped out in the past were pretty good contractors. So they helped out with a few hours on the weekends when they could for way below base pay, I'd work on what I was comfortable with whenever I got a chance, and after a few months it was done. The most expensive part was the kitchen, but I wanted it to be fully functional so I spared no expense, I didn't even go for the floor models when buying the appliances, it nearly killed me to spend so much at once…"

Judy couldn't have looked more incredulous if she'd tried, even with the amount this place clearly cost she knew Nick most likely wasn't hurting for cash if his bragging when they had first met wasn't an exaggeration. Looking around $1,460,000 didn't seem like a stretch. She looked up at the smug tod and asked, "Well, can I get a tour Slick?"

"Of course you can Carrots. Obviously this is the living room, and over there is the kitchen as you can see. Down this hallway here," Nick started off opening the doors as he want, "this is the bathroom and laundry room."

"You have a tub?! Oh wow and your own washer and dryer!"

"Yes Carrots, I have a tub/shower combo, they're not that uncommon are they?"

"Well with 275 brothers and sisters we had more of a communal shower set up, and the Grand Pangolin Arms apartments had a few shower stalls, but no tubs. Of course the hotel I'm staying in has a tub, I even took a bubble bath, it was so relaxing!"

Nick tried his best to not think about Judy bathing, her wet fur matted to her skin, revealing every soft curve and hard muscle, her only cover the thin layer of bubbles on the surface of the water, but he failed miserably. That is until he realized something else she had said, "Wait, you're staying at a hotel?"

"Well I ended my lease when I went back to Bunnyburrow, and I haven't really had the time to go apartment hunting since I've been back. Though I will need to start thinking about that sooner rather than later."

If Nick hadn't been distracted by the thought of a bathing Judy still dancing in his head he might have kept his mouth shut, instead he blurted out, "You can stay with me."

That was not what Judy was expecting, "What?"

"I mean, while you're looking for a new place. Even the more affordable hotels can be a bit pricey, and the really cheep ones are just disgusting. I have more room in this place than I know what to do with most days so it might be fun having you stay over for a bit. Besides I'll be sleeping in the arm chair as the doctors don't want me laying down to sleep just yet so the bedroom will be unused. Here take a look." Nick popped open another door and the surprises just kept coming, in the middle of the wall of a fairly large room was an absolutely massive bed, it had to be a lion king size at least. There was a dresser along one of the walls, and a matching nightstand next to the bed, in one of the corners was a desk with a closed laptop on it, and one of the walls had what she suspected was a closet, finally on the far wall was an open window overlooking the stone bridge she'd found Nick lounging by two weeks ago.

"Nick, this bed is incredible! Why on earth would you get one so large?'

Nick's smile was a bit sad but he replied, "Why? Easy: because I could Carrots, because I could. Now what do you say, you want to spend a few days sleeping at your best friends place instead of getting fleeced at the hotel?"

Judy wanted to tell Nick that the city was picking up the tab for the hotel as part of their way of thanking one of their police officers for saving the city, but instead she said, "Well it is a nice hotel, it has the bathtub."

"Nice try: I have a tub, try again."

"It has a gym."

"I know you saw the exercise equipment, besides I could use a workout partner. I'll need to get into shape before the Academy, hospital living does nothing for my conditioning."

"It's nice having such a large room to myself."

"Your hotel room would have to be massive if it's bigger than this place, even with two mammals."

"If you're sure it wouldn't be a bother…"

"Fluff, you wouldn't be a bother if you tried."

"Well, okay then, yes! I'd love to stay here! Oh this is going to be so much fun!" Judy was practically jumping for joy, staying here would be the perfect way to get to know the fox who had stolen her heart that much better. "I can catch the train to the hotel and I'll be back in an hour or two."

"Great," Nick opened a small drawer and fished around for a moment before he tossed a small set of keys towards Judy, "You can drive a standard right? Cause I'm calling shotgun right now."

Judy caught the keys easily, "Of course I can, I grew up in the country side remember? Half the cars out there are stick shift. But why wouldn't you want to drive your own car? It's not stolen is it?" She asked that last part with a wink letting him know that it was entirely a joke.

"If you want to check my papers Officer, I won't stop you, but no it's entirely my car. I'm still not feeling 100% and I'm not supposed to operate heavy machinery while I'm weaning off from these painkillers."

Concern washed over Judy's face, "If you're not feeling well you can stay here, I'll be back in just a little bit."

Nick smiled at her, she did truly care for him, he rubbed her head between her ears, "Don't worry about me Carrots, I don't feel that poorly. Besides, I haven't taken that car out in a while, it'll be good to ride in it again."

The two of them stepped back out into the unfinished section of the warehouse and Nick led them over to the bay doors. They walked by two of the 4 shapes covered in the cloth tarps and Judy was looking at them with curiosity but Nick smirked and walked up to the third shape and pulled the cloth off with a flourish. What was beneath was a classic muscle car with a metallic blue paint job and two black racing stripes, "It's a '67 Shelby G.T. 500, very rare car" Nick supplied with what almost sounded like reverence in his voice. "I found it with it's whole front end caved in. If I had to guess I'd say it was wrapped around a tree or telephone pole at some point. It was just sitting at a junk yard about 15 years ago, the owners of the place had no idea what they had: I bought the thing for a song. I spent years tracking down parts and fixing it up, it's amazing what you can figure out with the internet these days."

Judy hadn't seen a car quite like this in person before. She noticed that there was a thin layer of dust on the car, and the cover Nick had removed was filthy. "You don't drive it?"

"Ah, car like this? It's built for cruising with your girl, not driving to the latest hustle."

"Oh so I'm your girl now huh?" Judy tried to keep her voice even, but she knew she couldn't entirely keep the excitement hidden.

Nick smiled easily, "What would you call it Carrots? You're moving in aren't you? Or do you just move in with any shifty mammal who offers?"

Judy smiled but decided to ignore the comment, "Well if you want me to stay we'll need to stop for some bubble bath supplies."

"Sure, and probably a bite to eat as well. Judging by the smell most of the food in the kitchen will need to be tossed out."

Nick walked over to his workbench and grabbed a few tools he knew he'd need. Cars that sat around for too long tended to need a little TLC to get going again. He motioned for Judy to pop the hood and after she spent a moment looking for the release lever she pulled it releasing the hood. She walked to the front of the car to watch him work.

As he was going to get to work he noticed her quietly staring at him and decided to explain what he was doing, "Alright so this wingnut holds the air filter on above the carburetor, once it's off I'll be able to spray some of this starter fluid into the air intake (he shook a small pressurized can). The battery is probably dead too so we'll use this jump kit to kick the engine over." Nick noticed a small amused smile play across her lips, "You already know all this don't you?"

Judy couldn't help herself from chuckling slightly, "Yes, we had plenty of troublesome vehicles back on the farm, but I did like hearing you explain it, you have a nice voice. Now, why don't you attach the jumpers and I'll start 'er up!" Judy hopped down off the bumper and sat down in the drivers seat. Nick hooked up the jumper cables and readied the spray can giving her the thumbs up.

As she turned the key the engine turned over smoothly but wasn't firing up which is what he expected anyway. He sprayed the starter fluid for a moment and the engine roared to life. Nick took a moment to listen to the engine and once he was satisfied it was running smoothly he put the air filter back on and put his tools away.

Nick stepped into the car and sat down closing the door behind him while Judy was getting herself situated. Nick opened his glove compartment and pulled out a garage door opener, pressing the button. As the door began to open up Nick reached back into the glove box and grabbed a pair of aviator sunglasses slipping them on, "Shall we?"

Judy grinned over at him clearly excited to drive such a powerful sounding machine, "Oh, hell yeah!"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> If you recognize the make and model of Nick's car you are my favorite person. I couldn't figure out if it was actually a Cobra or not so I didn't have Nick reference that...
> 
> But forget all that! Nick and Judy are going to be living together for a little while! I hope no high jinks ensue!


	7. Chapter 6

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Judy and Nick go to pick up her stuff from the hotel she'd been staying at and they watch a movie together.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Author's Notes:
> 
> Something went wrong with this chapter... I somehow managed to repost chapter 4, not sure how I manged that. But I think I fixed it, maybe?
> 
> Anyway, Longest Chapter GET! I wasn't planning on it being so damn long, but the words kept flowing. I hope you're all ready for a little fluff, the good shit will start in a few chapters.
> 
> I do not yet own Zootopia, but give it time.

Nick had poked fun about her three wheeled joke mobile before, but clearly Judy didn't learn how to drive in that thing. Nick would have been nervous, but he knew what the car was capable of handling and she wasn't pushing it too hard. She was aggressive on the gas, late on the breaks, threw the car into every corner and Nick loved every second of it. As Judy tore through the streets of Zootopia Nick eased back into his seat and just watched her, she looked so alive right now. He'd seen her happy a few times during the cases they'd worked together, even smug once or twice, but Nick now knew he'll spend the rest of his life trying to make Judy as happy as she looked right now. Occasionally he'd tear his eyes off his bunny to give a tip on what routes to take or avoid, but for the most part he was simply lost in her beauty.

As they neared the hotel Nick was finally able to focus enough to point out a good cheep parking garage not too far from their destination. Judy pulled the car in with no issue and parked away from other cars which Nick appreciated. The two exited the car and as Nick moved towards the nearest stairwell he felt a tug on his shirt, he turned around to look at Judy but before he could ask her 'what's up?' he felt her jump up and throw a hug around his neck. He froze for a moment but he slipped his arms around her waist and he pulled her close soaking in the feel of her just for a moment.

Nick stood there for a long moment just holding her before he came back to his senses and placed her gently back on the ground. Even with her feet back on the floor she held on to her fox for just a moment longer. As she let go Nick stood back up letting his paws drag over her back until they were resting on her shoulders. In an uncharacteristically candid moment for Nick he asked, "Not that I minded, but what was that for Carrots?"

Judy looked up at the handsome tod and said, "I don't know, everything? You letting me stay at your place, letting me drive your car, and for just always being in my corner."

"I'll be in your corner for as long as you'll have me Fluff, so you better get used to it." Judy was blown away at the sincerity in his voice and etched in his face, she knew in that moment that until she told him to leave he'd be nowhere but at her side. She wondered what she did to deserve such fierce loyalty, she'd betrayed his trust once before, and when she came back to ask his forgiveness he ended up getting shot and dosed with the Night Howler serum. She wouldn't have blamed him if he'd never wanted to see her again, instead he had pulled her into his life and opened up more than she could have hoped.

The two finally separated and smiled at each other briefly before Judy said, "Well shall we get my stuff?"

"Lead the way Carrots, I'll be right behind you."

Judy suspected he meant that more than would appear at surface level. When they got back to the warehouse, she decided, it would be time to sit down and have a conversation, an awkward tense conversation to be sure, but it'd be good to get… whatever was going on between them out in the open. Judy knew there would never been anyone else for her, Nick was the first mammal to truly stand up for her and trust in her dream.

The two of them turned away from the car and strode off towards the hotel. Nick recognized the place, The Grand Marmot was a fine middle of the road hotel but he'd never stayed at one. He'd schmoozed a mark or two at the hotel bar but he was actually curious what their rooms were like. They crossed the street and into the lobby of the hotel making their way over to the elevators selecting one of the medium mammal class ones. Judy selected floor 7 and the two rode up in comfortable silence standing next to each other.

The doors of the elevator opened and the two of them stepped out into the hall. They walked down the hall until Judy stopped at a door and swiped a keycard unlocking it. As she opened the door Nick was hit with a wave of two distinct scents. The first was his own surprisingly, though when he thought about it she had been spending a lot of time while he was recovering so it checked out that some of her clothes would have picked up his scent. The other smell he picked up was aroused bunny.

Nick was frozen in place sniffing loudly trying to get his head on straight. Judy looked up at her frozen companion seeing his nose flaring as he inhaled for a few tense moments. She tilted her head to the side in puzzlement trying to figure out what his issue was when she realized that with his nose he could probably smell everything she'd been up to in the last few weeks even with regular turn down service. She darted into the room and shouted quickly, "I'llmeetyouatthecarNick!" and slammed the door in his face.

Nick took a moment to process what just happened, he was half tempted to see if he could worm his way into the room somehow but decided that would be a bad idea. He wasn't sure how well he'd be able to control himself if he immersed himself in her smell like that. The scent of bunny shouldn't be effecting him as much as it was, but here he was. He swallowed weakly and turned back towards the elevator.

On the ride back to the lobby Nick thought of something nice he could do for his cute little bunny. He stepped out of the elevator and walked right over to the receptionist at the front desk, a board looking squirrel reading a book behind his computer screen. Nick's mask of casual indifference firmly in place he said with what sounded like genuine enthusiasm, "Hello, how's your day going?"

The squirrel who's name tag read Ted fixed Nick with a look of boredom that only a veteran of the service industry can display and said, "Hello sir and welcome to the Grand Marmot, how can I be of service today?"

"Well Ted, a friend of mine is staying here and is checking out today."

Ted cut him off, "I cannot give out guest information sir, you'll have to find your friend some other way."

Nick knew exactly what the squirrel was trying to say, Ted probably suspected that Nick was looking for his next mark, once upon a time he might have even been right so he tried not to hold it against him when he said, "Thanks, but I have her information already. Her name is Judy Hopps, and she's staying in room 721. I was planning on paying for her room as a surprise."

Ted closed his book and looked over Nick briefly before typing away at his computer. He looked up after a moment, "Alright, what's your angle?"

"No angle Ted, just trying to do something nice for a friend. Is there something in your company policy preventing someone from paying for a room?"

Ted looked up guiltily realized he was just stereotyping Nick pretty badly, "No, no policy. I simply ask because that room was already being paid for by the ZPD account. If you want to pay for the room sir of course I can help with that."

Nick thanked his lucky stars he was able to think on his feet, "Oh right, sorry; the chief mentioned they'd be paying for the room." He leaned in close, "I'm working security you understand, she's that Judy Hopps. We in the Bureau would appreciate it if you could keep this conversation just between the two of us." He even shot a clandestine wink to the smaller mammal to really seal the deal. "We hate overlooking details like this as I'm sure you understand."

Ted leaned closer, "I understand sir. I'll keep it between the two of us."

Nick nodded and walked away from the desk. He had no idea how he pulled off that lie still dressed in his Pawiian shit but mammals will buy anything you sell with enough confidence. Nick stood to the side of the lobby and decided to wait for Judy checking his phone. He wasn't looking at anything in particular, he was just trying (unsuccessfully) to distract himself from what he smelt in Judy's room. He realized she had urges like any other mammal, but it was still shocking to be presented with it so directly. He was just glad he only smelt one female rabbit in there so she wasn't with a partner. He was half tempted to tease her about what was in her room, but decided it wouldn't be good for his health to do so.

As he was getting hot under the collar remembering the smell he heard the elevator doors ding and out stepped his bunny. He gave her a single wave and she looked away for a moment, but turned back and returned his wave. She was clearly still embarrassed but at least she wasn't ignoring him. Judy walked over to the front desk and started talking to Ted. Seeing the front desk attendant again made him think, there was no way Judy didn't know that her room was being paid for by the ZPD. If she wasn't paying for her own room than why was she as excited as she was to move in temporarily? Maybe she just wanted to spend time with him…

Once it looked like she was wrapping up Nick walked up and grabbed one of her two suitcases and stepped back. Judy finished up a moment later and turned to grab her cases and when she noticed one was missing she flashed Nick with a blinding smile. His heart ached seeing that smile again and all he could do was smile back. Judy's luggage was too short for Nick to use the rolling wheels effectively but thankfully it was more than light enough to be carried easily.

As they stepped out of the hotel together Judy spoke up, "I don't mind carrying my own luggage Slick, though I do appreciate you helping out."

Nick shot her a smug look, "You may not mind Carrots, but I would. Now come on, let's get a bite to eat and then back to the warehouse shall we?"

"Sounds good to me Slick. What were you thinking for chow?"

"I was thinking we could just grab a pizza or maybe some Chinese and eat it back at home. You're call, and my treat."

Judy loved being doted on by him, but couldn't figure out why he was being so selfless. First opening up his home, and now all of this? It was enough to make her heart melt. She looked at his free paw swinging by his side as they walked towards the car and she had to resist reaching right up and taking hold of it. Instead she spoke up, "If you know of a good place I'd kill for a good pizza. I swear no one in Zootopia knows how to make a good thin crust."

Nick smiled down towards her, "I know the best pizza place Carrots, it's called Pizza Pi, like the number. Let me guess, you strike me as a BBQ carrot pizza, am I right?"

Judy scowled at him, "What, just because I'm a rabbit I must love carrots?"

Nick almost blurted, 'I'm a fox and I love Carrots just fine.' but instead said, "I'll apologize for being spiciest if I'm wrong."

Judy didn't reply for a moment, "Fine, what kind of toppings do you like?"

He suppressed a laugh, "I am a fan of onion, peppers, and tofu: absolutely outstanding."

They placed the luggage in the trunk of the car and sat down Nick letting out sigh as he eased into the chair. Judy looked over at him in concern, but he cut her off, "My chest is just a little tight Carrots. I'm fine, I just need to take it a little easy when I get back home." His smile did ease her concern a bit and she took a deep breath then started the car up.

As they were getting about halfway to the pizza joint Judy's phone started ringing. They were at a stoplight so she pulled it out of her pocket and took a look t the screen, "Oh it's my parents… Nick I almost hate to ask, but could you answer it for me? If I don't pick up then they'll just keep calling and then they'll start to worry."

Nick wanted to do anything but talk to her parents, but his paw reached out for the phone regardless. "Sure thing Carrots, what are their names?"

"Oh, Bonnie and Stu. Thank you Slick, I appreciate this."

Nick smiled at her as he hit the green button on the phone and she pulled away from the stop light. Nick was taken aback as he noticed that it wasn't a phone call, it was a video call. He noticed a middle aged female bunny, 'Bonnie' he noted to himself who wasn't actually looking at the phone at the moment.

Nick swallowed and said in his friendliest tone, "Hello Mrs. Hopps, how are you today?"

The bunny turned in shocked surprise at the voice coming through her phone, "Oh! You're not Judy. Did I dial the wrong number?" She looked at her phone in confusion, sure that she pressed Judy's name in her contact list.

Nick smiled, "No on both accounts. My name is Nick, but this is Judy's phone. She's currently driving so she asked if I could talk to you instead." Nick panned the camera over to show Judy, "Say hello to your mom Carrots."

Judy glanced over and waved, "Hi mom! And Nick! The whole point was to not distract me while I'm driving!" She poked her tongue out at her companion.

Nick chuckled and spun the camera back to himself, "She didn't want you to worry with her being unable to answer and she asked me to pick up the phone. So, how are you Mrs. Hoops?"

"I'm good, thank you… Nick was it? Wait… Nick, Nick Wilde? Were you the one who helped our Judy with her cases?"

"Was I the fox who ran his tail off at your daughter's behest? Yes, yes I am. She is a very driven mammal hell bent on making the world a better place, and I'm very happy knowing that she considers me her friend." Nick said that last bit facing Judy but she didn't really notice as she was driving the car, but Bonnie certainly did.

Bonnie knew that Judy cared for Nick a great deal, the few times Judy opened up in the three months after the missing mammals case she would talk about the mammal she betrayed, only once mentioning Nick by name. Then after they stopped the Bellwether plot Bonnie was able to get the details out of her Daughter. How the mammal she had hurt was there with her when they were attacked and he was injured defending her and his name was Nick Wilde. Bonnie was pretty sure there were details that were being left out but she didn't want to press it.

Bonnie called out into her burrow, "Stu, Stu come quick! Nick is on the phone!" She turned back to address the tod on her screen, "Mr. Wilde, I cannot thank you enough for helping our daughter. She told us how you saved her life taking down that horrible sheep, and how instrumental you were with finding the missing mammals."

As she was speaking a heavier rabbit Nick guessed was Stu came running into the room huffing slightly, "Did you say Nick was on the phone Bon-Bon?" Bonnie stepped to the side sharing the screen with her husband, "Hello Nicholas, I'm Stu, and Judy's my daughter."

Bonnie cut in, "I think he knows that dear."

"Huh? Oh, right! I just wanted to thank you for helping her Nicholas, it means so much to us knowing that she has someone willing to protect her in that big city."

Nick had expected this conversation to go a lot of different ways, from them being suspicious of a fox hanging out with their daughter, to them being outright spiciest: demanding that Judy leave his company. The two of them being downright ecstatic seeing him was never a possibility he had considered. Nick closed his eyes a moment trying to compose himself, seeing these two parental figures showering him with praises stirred up a lot of feelings he usually preferred to leave buried.

He opened up his eyes after a moment praying that the two staring at him intently couldn't noticed the tears threatening to spill out of his eyes, "Of course Mr. and Mrs. Hopps. Someone needed to keep her over enthusiastic self in check. I guess I was the lucky mammal who got that job." They had stopped at another light and Judy took another glance over at Nick, their eyes locking for a moment. She had seen him emotional before, but never like this. He was clearly happy at receiving such praise from her parents, but there was something underneath it all that was eating him up inside.

Judy seeing Nick like this decided to speak up, "Mom, dad is it okay if I call you back later? We were about to get a bite to eat."

Bonnie replied, "Of course sweetheart! Just call us whenever you get a chance, if you can't call today just send us a text."

"Bye you two, love you both!"

Stu said his goodbye, "Talk to you later Jude the dude."

Nick decided it'd be rude to hang up without saying goodbye as well, "Goodbye Mr. and Mrs. Hopps. It was nice talking to you both."

Nick hung up and closed his eyes, trying to hold back the tears. He didn't realize how much a little positive reinforcement would tare him up inside. He'd spent years ignoring some of the most hateful shit you could hear without batting an eye, but two bunnies 200 miles away said a few nice things and he starts falling apart. The tears were starting to fall from his eyes so he didn't even notice that Judy had pulled the car over and parked.

He was shaken from his own little world by a little bunny crawling in his lap. She wrapped her arms around his chest silently hugging the emotional tod. Nick paused for a moment before hugging her back his tail wrapping around her as well. If Judy knew more about foxes this might have surprised her, foxes are incredibly picky about who touches their tail, usually outside of their immediate family it's only lovers. Nick reached up and started stroking her ears noting the scar tissue where Bellwether's bullet tore a hole through one. Nick didn't remember the event being dosed out of his mind on Night Howler and near dead from blood loss, but he felt bad that he wasn't able to save her from any harm, but it was slight compared to the contentment he felt knowing he likely saved her life several times over in that encounter.

They sat there for a long moment just holding each other and Nick felt a lot calmer. He pressed his nose between her ears and took one last calming breath taking in her scent then he leaned back in his seat relaxing his grip on his bunny. He looked in her eyes and said softly, "Thank you Judy, I needed that." He ran a paw across his eyes drying them slightly, "Sorry, I'm not usually this emotional!" He let off a hollow sounding laugh.

Judy felt warm at hearing her name pass through his lips. She believed he wouldn't lie to her any longer, but hearing her name made whatever he was saying carry a lot more weight behind the words. She placed a paw on his muzzle ensuring he couldn't turn away when she replied, "You don't have to apologize Nick, I'm glad you're comfortable enough to open up around me. You mean a lot to me Slick, and I want you to know you can always turn to me if you ever want to talk, about anything."

Nick brought her in for another hug and whispered in the base of her ear, "Thank you for being here Judy." He squeezed her tightly before letting go and smiling at her. "Thank you."

Judy hopped off his lap noting the tail that was until then still wrapped around her. She scooted back to her seat and after buckling up pulled the car out into the road. After a few moments of silence Judy spoke up, "Do you mind if I ask what my parents did to make you so upset? If they did something inappropriate I want to make sure they don't do it again."

Nick let out a sigh but he did respond, "It's dumb, but they thanked me. My dad left when I was about 8 years old so I barely remember him and my mom passed away when I was 12. After that I became a mammal I know they wouldn't've been proud of for a very long time. But hearing your parents thank me like they did, it made me realize I've finally become a fox my parents would have been proud of. I was crying because I was happy Carrots, and it's all your fault."

Judy whipped at her eyes, "Don't make me cry while I'm driving Nick! And besides, this is only like 25% my fault: you've always had what it took Slick."

Nick wasn't sure he believed her, but remained silent, just nodding his head in agreement. He knew he took the easy way out when he became a street hustler after his mother had passed, but he was never certain that there was a better option for him out there. That is until a carrot headed cop pulled his head out from under his tail.

* * *

They picked up their pizzas without issue (other than Judy arguing to pay for the food, Nick won that argument though she had no idea how) and they made their way back to Nick's home. Judy backed the car in through the garage doors around 6:00 PM and killed the engine going to hand the key's back to Nick. He refused them, "Nah, you hang on to them for now Carrots. They have a key for the front door as well so if you need to step out for any reason you can."

"Nick, I can't borrow this car, it's way too nice!"

"It's just a thing Carrots, and there's no thing too nice for my best friend."

Judy wanted to argue, but when she thought about it for more than a moment she realized there wasn't likely a situation where she'd have to leave without Nick so it didn't really matter. Instead she hopped out of the car and said, "You take the pizzas, and I'll deal with my luggage." She saw Nick go to argue but talked right over him, "It's like 200 feet to your house slick, I can drag the cases that far; they have wheels you know." Nick almost looked like he was going to pout but just nodded and picked up the pizza.

The two walked back to the front door of the house section together Nick sliding a key in and unlocking the door stepping aside with a flourish allowing Judy to go in first. She smiled up at the sarcastic tod but did walk in. As Nick closed the door behind him he said, "Why don't you set your stuff down in my room, I'll set up a movie for us to watch, sound good?"

"Sounds great slick, maybe a comedy?"

Nick smiled, "I can do that!" Judy turned towards the room and Nick called out, "Oh, before I forget: I pulled the sheets off already, there are some fresh ones in the closet."

Judy replied from the doorway, "Got it, I'll take care of it!" She walked into the room again once taken aback at the size of not only the room but specifically the massive bed. She set her bags by the foot of the bed and opened them getting her comfortable (and clean smelling) pajamas out. They were pink with blueberries dotted all over, she smiled to herself 'I wonder if this might be cheating, I know he has a serious weakness for blueberries, but I'm sure it's fine.'

She quickly got changed, her pajamas were comfy, loose fitting and warm. Once they were on she walked over to what she correctly assumed was the closet popping it open. She had expected it to be overflowing with horrible Pawiian shirts, and while there were a few in there it was mostly filled with sensible and sometimes stylish shirts. She noticed that all were long-sleeved, her mood soured at that, she knew why Nick had a bias for long-sleeved shirts and it hurt to think of the pain her fox had gone through in his life.

She noticed the sheets sitting on a shelf and grabbed a set walking over to the bed and fit them on. She then picked up the comforter from off the floor tossing it on the bed as well, it was harder than should would have though because of how massive all the bedding was but she got it done in short order. She smiled at a job well done and made her way out to the living room. Nick was sat on one end of the couch plate in hand with a few slices of his pizza. She also notice another plate sitting on the coffee table as far from Nick as it could be. Judy almost paused at this but kept moving deciding not to take it personally, rather he most likely did it to make her more comfortable: she was pretty sure he didn't mind her getting too close as they napped together a couple time while he was recovering.

Judy took a seat on the couch away from Nick and picked up her plate. As she settled in she asked, "So, what have you got for us to watch Slick?"

Nick smiled and said, "Monty Python and the Holy Grail. Have you seen it?"

Judy screwed up her eyes in thought, "Uhh, I don't think so? It doesn't sound familiar…"

"Might have been a bit before your time to be fair. It's fantastic, I really think you'll like it." Nick picked up his remote but before he started it, "Oh, do you want something to drink first? I have water, stale beer, or wine. All of my juice has turned at this point I think."

Judy thought to herself for a moment, 'If he wasn't coming off of painkillers I'd try to convince him to join me in a glass of wine.' "I'll take a water thanks Nick."

Nick nodded and slipped off the couch only pausing when he heard a soft landing behind him. When he turned he say Judy waiting a few steps back, "Uh, I can get the water Carrots myself…"

Judy nodded, "I know Slick, I'm not coming because I think your infirm, it's so I know where the glasses are going forward. I'll need to know the layout of your kitchen if I'll be spending a few days here."

Nick was taken aback that he hadn't though of that himself facepalming himself and dragging his paw over his face, "I must be more tired than I thought… well, this way Fluff." Nick lead her into the kitchen and showed her where a few things were like the silverware and the pantry. Once they both had a glass of water in paw they made their way back to the couch and Nick started the movie.

As the opening credits started Judy took her first bite of pizza letting out a contented moan at it's taste. Nick asked, "As good as you hoped Carrots?"

"It's even better Nick! This is one of the best pizzas I've ever had!" She wasn't exaggerating either, it truly was fantastic.

Nick smiled at her, "Told you it was good. Now pay attention, even the credits are chock full of jokes."

Judy turned back to the movie as he recommended and started to watch the jokes as they appeared. At first she thought maybe Nick had pirated this copy with the foreign subtitles, but she quickly realized they were part of the jokes Nick mentioned.

* * *

The two of them were howling at the jokes as they kept landing in rapid fire scene after scene. Nick opened up his pizza box and pulled out another slice putting on his plate and sitting himself back down. Judy had a wonderfully sly idea and ensuring to keep her face straight said, "Hey slick, can I try a bite of your pizza? I wonder if it's as good as mine."

Nick replied, "Uh, sure Carrots, if you want." Nick looked away from her to grab another slice but Judy quickly slid across the couch until she was sat right next to the tod drawing his attention. She grabbed the slice he had already taken a bite from and took one of her own.

"Hmm, not bad, pretty good actually, but I still prefer mine." After she set his pizza back on his plate and noticed his somewhat shocked expression she said, "Oh I'm sorry Nick, 275 siblings and you get used to sharing food like that. Is that okay?"

Nick replied, "It's totally fine Carrots, just surprised is all. Most mammals wouldn't want to eat something a fox has touched let alone taken a bite out of." He didn't say it out loud, but it was nice reaffirmation of how much she trusted him.

They turned back to the movie but Judy didn't move back to her seat, instead she sat right next to him, almost pressed up against him. The two turned their attention back to the movie again laughing at the truly bizarre humor that movie presented.

* * *

While the Knights were meeting the Enchanter named… Tim, Nick felt a pressure on his arm: Judy had slumped over half asleep. Nick almost jumped out of his skin and after a moment looked over, Judy was tying in vain to keep her eyes open. Nick wanted nothing more than to wrap his arm around her but settled for slipping his tail around her back, (it was a much more significant gesture for a fox but he was betting his bunny wouldn't realize) she sighed at the ridiculously fluffy appendage adding its warmth to her body. The moment it settled in place she was done and slid down his arm resting her head on his leg.

Nick brought his paw forward and started to stroke her ears for the second time today noting once again how incredibly soft they were. She sighed again softly at his ministrations so he kept going completely ignoring the movie at this point. As she way laying there she reached out and grabbed his tail dragging it to her chest snuggling it softly.

Nick could not remember a moment when he had ever felt happier after his mother had passed, maybe his whole life. He noticed that the movie had moved on to the vicious bunny scene and he considered waking her up, but she was way too cute to disturb her. Instead he just focused on his cute bunny petting her ears until the movie ended humming softly the whole time. He swore to himself again that he would die before he allowed her to suffer, and he'd be spending the rest of his life making her happy.

When the movie was just about over he turned off the TV remembering just in time that it cuts to white and then an annoyingly catchy song as soon as it ends. He considered waking her up at this point but decided to carry her back to, well, his room. A smile played across his muzzle but he kept the wicked thoughts to a minimum. As he slipped his arms under her small frame and picked her up with ease only wincing slightly at the tug on his chest wounds. He didn't actually mind though and walked to the room.

Thankfully the door was slightly ajar so he was able to push it the rest of the way open. He walked up to the bed and used his teeth to pull the blanket and then sheet down enough to tuck her in. He set her down and set the blanket back over her. As Nick went to step away Judy reached up and wrapped her arms around his neck holding him in place. Nick's mouth was just a few inches away from hers and he wanted nothing more in his life to taste her lips. Instead he softly pressed his lips to her forehead kissing her sweetly.

As he finished the kiss her arms relaxed and she settled back into the bed. He stood up and whispered, "Good night Judy. I'll see you in the morning." Judy was silent as he padded his way out of the room and he shut the door.

The moment the door was closed Judy sat up straight in bed and slapped her paws to her face suppressing a slight scream. She was half asleep right up until he kissed her forehead, that woke her up right quick. For a moment she wanted to convince herself that it meant nothing, that he was just being nice, but she didn't truly believe that. He liked her, romantically, she was almost positive.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you as always for the follows/Subs. I'm still reading the reviews people leave so if that's you, thank you! 3


	8. Chapter 7

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It's their first night living under the same roof, what shenanigans will arise? Also Nick gets a troubling phone call after breakfast.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry I haven't posted in over a week again... first my motorcycle was in the shop and I just couldn't focus. Then I got it back with a clean bill of health, and celebrated with excessive drinking. THEN I uploaded chapter 7 and apparently forgot to actually post it... I am sorry I keep forgetting to update both sites at the same time.
> 
> I may never own Zootopia, but I hope this story may add to the enjoyment of it's fandom.

Nick stepped out of his old room turned Judy's guest room closing the door softly behind him. Once the door was closed he leaned against it letting out a breath, "Sweet Karma, why the fuck did I kiss her?" It was a rhetorical question, he knew why he did it, he loved her, simple as that. He walked his way back to the living room and decided to pick up a bit. He put the pizzas in some tupperware containers he had in the kitchen. Once that was taken care of it was time to get some sleep of his own. He walked over to his arm chair and came to a number of realizations all at once. First, he didn't have a blanket to use, secondly, he didn't have his pajamas, and finally, he couldn't go and get them: he didn't trust himself stepping inside that room again.

He could still taste her fur on his lips and her scent filled his nose, if he walked back in there he'd want to do it again. So instead he went to his closet and grabbed a winter jacket and stripped off his shirt. He sat himself down in his chair and closed his eyes, it had been a long day, and no matter how amped up he was from the little kiss he did need some sleep. As he started to drift off he swore to himself, 'Next time I kiss her, she'll be awake.'

* * *

Judy woke up to the sound of whimpering. She took a moment to get her bearings, she woke up in an unfamiliar room, but smothered in Nick's scent. For a moment she considered diving under the covers and wallowing in the smell even more, but the sounds coming from the living room gave her pause. She crawled out of bed guessing that it was incredibly early in the morning.

As she stepped into the living room she looked around trying to see through the immense darkness. After a few seconds she spotted the source of the whimpering, Nick was laying on his mostly reclined arm chair. He was tossing and turning slightly and moaning softly, Judy was pretty sure that he was having a nightmare. She also noticed that he was shirtless and didn't have any blankets only using a jacket for warmth.

Judy let out a sigh at her dumb fox. She walked back into the bedroom and grabbed a spare blanket as well as one of the extra pillows on the bed. She hopped right up on to the chair and laid the blanket on the stirring tod tucking the pillow behind his head. Once he was tucked in he stopped moving but continued to whine quietly. Judy stroked his ears softly whispering comfort to her fox. He let out a deep sigh at her touch and fell silent.

As she was about to hop off the chair and go back to her bed she recalled the kiss Nick had given her as he tucked her in. She looked at the handsome tod before her, she had never found predators attractive before, but it was unmistakable that her heart quickened whenever she stared at him. Well, turnabout is fair play as they say so she leaned over and planted a kiss on his cheek lingering longer than would be considered appropriate between friends.

Judy finished her kiss and stepped back looking at Nick who seemed to be smiling slightly. She licked her lips tasting Nick on them slightly humming softly to herself at the taste. Deciding that staying here any longer would be taking an unnecessary risk in waking her fox she slid off the chair and made her way back to the room she was using, taking one long look back. It almost scared her how tempting it was to walk back and climb into the chair with him. Her imagination filled with images of her cuddling with him and kissing him all over his face.

He probably wouldn't refuse her if she asked for it, but she knew that wasn't how she wanted things to play out: she had a goal and the drive to see it through. Her goal was simple in concept if potentially hard in execution, she wanted Nick as her boyfriend. She'd done a lot of research on fox dating and mating habits in the two weeks that Nick was left unconscious in the hospital. Most things she found assumed it was two foxes dating so they didn't give a lot of details, but one of the key points she pieced together from context clues is that the vixen sets the pace of the relationship. They choose the first date, they decide if the relationship will turn into something serious. That's not to say the tod has no input, they are equal partners in the partnership but they will usually wait for signals from the vixen.

As Judy laid back down in the bed that smelled distinctly like her fox the sly part of her brain came up with a wonderful idea. Nick was clearly a bad influence on her, not that she was complaining…

* * *

Nick woke up to the smell of baking and blueberries as well as the distinct scent of brewing coffee. He groaned happily and climbed out of his chair noting for the first time the blanket and pillow he now had. He walked quietly into the kitchen and saw something he wished he'd continue to see for the rest of his life: Judy was walking around in her pajamas humming happily to some song playing in her earbuds. Watching her bounce around in his kitchen cooking breakfast was one of the most mesmerizing things he'd ever seen.

Nick wasn't sure how long he stood there simply watching her move around but she eventually turned around and spotted him leaning up against the kitchen island. Judy pulled out her earbuds and said happily, "Good morning slick. I hope I didn't wake you too early."

Nick yawned slightly, "Nah, it's fine Carrots, it's about time I get up anyway. Foxes haven't been nocturnal for a few thousand years, though I always was a bit of a night owl I suppose. I would kill for a cup of that coffee though, let me grab a mug." Nick took a step towards his cupboards but Judy grabbed an already full mug and handed it to him. "Thank you Judy." He took an appreciative sip letting out a contented sigh. "It's perfect."

Nick had apparently not noticed that he was standing in the kitchen in nothing but his pants but Judy sure has hell noticed. As he sighed he took in a deep breath puffing his chest out considerably. Judy watched as his scars stretched out across his torso and once again was distressed at how poorly life had treated him. She paid extra attention to the three round scars that were newer than all the rest. The bullet wounds had already closed, but the flesh was still red and irritated looking.

Once his diaphragm was full he twisted at his waist, his back letting out a horrendous series of cracks. After that Nick rolled his neck which also cracked loudly a few times before he rotated his left shoulder in its socket which popped in and out. Finished stretching he reopened his eyes he saw Judy staring at him, she almost looked lost in thought. Nick decided to break her out of her stupor, "See something you like Carrots?" He flashed her a wicked grin.

Judy simply replied, "Well maybe so, but I was mostly just wondering when you'd realize you're not wearing a shirt." She was happy with how even she was able to keep her voice after that little display of his, it really did a number on her.

Nick looked down at himself in shock and quickly stepped behind the island, "Oh shit, sorry Carrots. I don't usually sleep with pajamas, and I've never had an overnight guest before. I'm so sorry I didn't even realize!"

Judy stopped the rambling tod, "Nick, it's fine! It's your house after all, if you want to walk around in the buff you can."

"NOPE! No thanks Carrots, I'm going to go get a shirt. I'll be right back." Nick turned and strode out of the kitchen trying desperately to not think about what he just did. He was mostly just happy that he wasn't spouting a morning wood as that was not something he wanted Judy to see.

Judy called out just before he closed his bedroom door, "Well make it quick, I made blueberry waffles and you'll want them while they're still hot!" She was barely able to contain her giggles at how flustered he clearly was, it was fun to see him out of his normally calm and collected state, she made a note to try and see him flustered as much as she could.

As Nick closed the door to his room he muttered to himself, "Sweet cheese and crackers. Thank Karma she didn't really get a look at anything. Still, I never even let mammals see me without a shirt on, they usually freak out. That bunny of mine is going to be the death of me."

He walked over to his closet and grabbed a pair of blue jeans and looked for a shirt. He moved to snag a long-sleeve pawiian when he remembered that Judy had never once shied away from his scars. So instead he grabbed one of his white t-shirts along with a change of under ware. He set out the clothes on the bed and began to get dressed. As he was pulling on his clothes he caught Judy's scent, after a moment of sniffing he noticed that it was coming from the bed. The fact that his bed now smelled like Judy was more distracting and enticing than he would have thought. Nick closed his eyes and took a few deep breaths (through his mouth) to steady himself and finished getting dressed.

Once he was dressed he stepped across the hall to relive himself in the bathroom and used his toothbrush for a moment. Finished with the bathroom Nick walked back into the kitchen with his mask firmly in place. He smiled at Judy and said, "So, you cooked breakfast, what's the special occasion?"

Judy turned around with a plate of two waffles, "You letting me stay here obviously. It's the least I can do slick. Honestly it's all your food, I should be thanking you."

Nick sat down and took his plate happily, "You'll never hear me complain about you cooking breakfast for me; foxes are nocturnal so you know… not really a morning mammal. I'll cook later to make up for it." He took a bite and hummed in pure bliss. "My god Carrots, these are great! What's your secret?"

Judy smiled at him, "No real secret Slick, just a touch of nutmeg and vanilla. My mom is the real master chef of the family, her waffles are to die for."

Nick noticed that she was simply watching him eat, "Did you already eat?"

"Yeah sorry, I was famished when I woke up and I wasn't sure when you'd be up."

She truly did look like she regretted it. Nick didn't really mind, "Ah, that's fine fluff. Still, why not pull up a chair and take a sip of your coffee?" He patted the chair next to him, "Food tastes better when enjoyed with a friend."

Judy didn't know how he constantly said the things that squeezed her heart. She picked up her mug and sat down next to him, "Thanks Nick."

"For what Carrots? Letting you sit down?"

Judy smiled, "No! For letting me stay here, for letting me know that's it's really not a bother, for letting me know that you really do want me here. It means a lot to me Nick, so thank you."

Nick wanted nothing more than to wrap her up in a hug and let her know that he never wanted her to leave, instead he placed a paw on her shoulder, "Of course Judy, you'll always be welcome here. Even after you get a place of your own."

Judy felt a little sad thinking about how she'd have to move out eventually, but decided to focus on how happy it made her to hear that he genuinely wanted her here. Her eyes were misting slightly but she nodded silently and took a sip of coffee. Nick again had to fight off the desire to hug her but instead focused on eating his breakfast the two of them slipping into a comfortable silence.

Once Nick finished eating he slipped off his chair and was planning to take his plate to the sink. He paused when he saw Judy hop of her chair as well. In a swift motion that she almost couldn't follow he placed his plate on his chair and swept her up in a hug picking her up off her paws. She didn't hesitate to reciprocate the gesture. After a moment of holding her Nick brought up one of his paws to stroke her ears again marveling at how soft they are.

Judy was lost in the moment, noticing that his one paw was almost the size of her entire back. She should have felt nervous or scared at being held by a predator, but she honestly melted into his embrace trusting him completely. He knelt down, letting her go, but she took a few moments to release her grip as well. While they separated they took the others paws in their own. Judy looked into his emerald eyes while Nick stared into her amethyst pools each one lost in the other's eyes.

As Nick got the urge to kiss her again Judy spoke up, "What was that for Nick?"

Nick wanted to tell her it was for him, that he craved nothing more than her touch, that it was nothing more than torture to be around her but not with her. Instead he said, "To thank you Judy, for believing in me, and for trusting me like you do."

Judy stepped forward and the two hugged once again, "I'll always trust you Nick. Completely and utterly." This time as the two separated they did let go of each other and Nick stood up grabbing his plate. "I can take care of the dishes Slick."

Nick smiled and replied, "That's okay Carrots, it's the least I can do. Why don't you take a shower and we can figure out what we're going to do today. I still need to show you the rest of my home and we'll need to go shopping at some point."

Judy smiled back at him, "Good call Slick, I'll be back in a bit." She walked out of the kitchen and into Nick's bedroom. Nick went about cleaning up the kitchen thankful that he had the box of instant waffle mix, if it wasn't for that they might have had to go out for breakfast. That wouldn't really have been a problem, other than the fact that he did not like doing things in the morning. There was a reason the pawpsicle hustle didn't start till around noon.

As he was cleaning the dishes he heard Judy pad from his bedroom to the bathroom across the hall and shut the door behind her. Once he finished cleaning the dishes and putting everything from breakfast away he decided to clean up his sleeping chair. He didn't put the pillow or blanket away as he'd be sleeping there again tonight, so he folded up the blanket and set it next to the pillow.

After he finished cleaning up he sat down on his couch and began to think about what he needed and wanted to do today. As he was figuring out what he wanted to do with Judy today Nick heard his new roommate call out to him, "Uh, Nick? You there?"

Nick replied a bit curiously, "Yeah Carrots, I'm here…"

"You don't keep your towels in the bathroom Slick?" Her voice was a little embarrassed as she said that causing Nick's mind to flood with images of Judy standing in a fog filled room naked with soaking wet fur, which just so happened to be exactly the case.

Nick swallowed nervously, but kept his voice even, "Oh sorry Carrots, let me grab one for you. Give me just a second." He dashed off to his room's closet where he kept his clean towels grabbing one at random. As he stepped up to the bathroom door he paused for a moment, a scene of him bursting in unannounced played out in his mind but was swiftly ignored. Instead he knocked softly on the door and after a brief moment it opened and Judy's wet paw reached through grabbing the towel Nick offered.

As she grabbed it Judy felt a pang of regret that he didn't step into the room and dry her off no matter how insane that thought was. Instead she muttered a quiet "Thanks Nick." before she closed the slight opening in the doorway.

Nick replied "Of course Judy." mostly keeping the excitement out of his voice. As the door closed he let out a breath he didn't realize he was holding and walked back to the living room. Once he heard the fur dryer turning on he was unable to thing of anything but the naked doe in his bathroom. He closed his eyes and took a few deep breaths, in through the mouth out through the nose and that helped prevent him from getting too… excited.

Once he saw Judy dart across the hallway Nick walked up to the bedroom door and called through, "I need a shower as well, are you all set in the bathroom Carrots?"

He heard a slight squeak from his bedroom, "Eek! Uh yeah Slick, I'm done in there."

Before he stepped inside he remembered, "Oh, could you pass me a towel first? Don't want a repeat already."

"Good call Slick, one second. Here you go!" Judy passed out a towel and Nick took it thankfully. Stepping into the bathroom hit Nick with another problem he hadn't considered, it reeked of Judy in here, the steamy water was probably behind it, pulling her scent off her body and dispersing it throughout the room. This made him realize that it had been a hot minute since he'd last… relived himself. He was unconscious for two weeks and the days before he checked out of the hospital, well, it was never really the time or place to rub one out.

And now here he was, in his own bathroom entirely enveloped in her scent, if Judy wasn't directly across the hall he'd be in heaven, instead this was much closer to hell for Nick. As he stepped out of his clothes and into the shower he noticed he was already at half mast with most of his shaft out of his sheath. Nick took deep even breaths, in through his mouth and out his nose, pointedly ignored his growing erection, and set about scrubbing his fur.

He took a little extra care than he would normally, he mentioned how nice his fur felt when he used his own products offhandedly to Judy once, but now he wanted to show her exactly how nice. Once he was happy with how clean he was he rinsed all the soap out of his fur and stood under the shower head for an extra minute enjoying the sensation of water flowing across his back.

Not wanting to keep Judy waiting longer than he had to Nick turned off the shower and stepped out before he really wanted to. He walked over to his fur dryer and turned it on to one of the medium settings, wanting to dry quickly, but not end up like a ball of fluff when he was done. He scrubbed himself with the towel while he was drying out and ran a comb through his fur getting all the kinks out and letting it shine like silk.

Once he was dry he put on the underwear and pants he'd grabbed a little while ago. He stepped out of the bathroom while he was getting ready to pull his shirt on over his head, and literally bumped straight into Judy who was walking out of the bedroom. He dropped his shirt and one arm darted out wrapping behind her upper back and the other latched onto the bathroom door frame for support. He unconsciously pulled her into his chest protectively, his instincts reacting to his surprise moved to shield his bunny.

Nick stood there for a moment before Judy started fidgeting in his grasp. Nick slowly relaxed his arm from her back and stood back up fully looming over her. Judy for her part was blushing furiously, how could Nick's chest fur be so ridiculously soft and fluffy? If she hadn't been so stunned she would have run her paws through his fur. She finally brought her eyes up to meet his and was stunned by what she saw, his eyes were focused on nothing but her, unmoving, unblinking, if felt like they were staring straight into her soul. Nick took a slow deep breath, let go of the door frame and bent down to grab his shirt from the floor before he said, "Close call there Carrots." his voice even and calm.

Judy shook her head in a daze, "Yeah… yeah! Good save Slick. Your reflexes might be even better than mine, and that's saying something."

Nick smiled down at her, his mask firmly in place he smiled at her, "Might? You forget, I've been getting into scrapes since I was a kit, my reflexes are second to none."

Judy's brain was fully back up and running, "Maybe, but I bet I could still take you in the ring. I was top of my class in the academy you know. And I earned that spot."

"I don't doubt that for a second Judy." Nick slipped his shirt on and stepped away, it annoyed her that this encounter seemed to bother her a lot more than it bothered him, that is until she noticed the doorjamb he grabbed for support had 4 deep claw marks left in it, the wood was even splinted in a few places. It should have frightened her, how powerful his claws clearly were, but instead she smiled happily. For no matter how strong he was, or how dangerous he could be, he treated her with such care, holding her so gently to keep her from falling. Well that, and it made her happy to know that she got to him as well, that brief encounter made her cement her plans for tonight in her head, she'd go through with it no matter what.

As she began making her way towards the living room she heard Nick's phone going off for a moment before she heard him answer, only hearing half of the conversation, "Hey Finn, didn't think I'd be hearing from you so soon. What can I do for you? -I told you not to go through my mail! -That's not my fucking problem Finn, if you don't like it you can fuck right off. -Yes I'm serious, I can do better Finn, and I will. -It's not about the money anymore. Look if you cant deal with it just put the letter back in the box and never call me again. Otherwise you're welcome to drop off my mail like usual and we'll talk about this." Judy heard Nick push the button to end the call and then he shouted, "FUCK!"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Author's Notes:
> 
> I don't always go for cliffhangers, but when I do, it's for drama.
> 
> So Finn found out that Nick is officially leaving him behind and doesn't seam to care for it. Will Judy feel guilt over driving a wedge between friends? Spoiler alert, kinda, but Nick squashes that right quick.
> 
> Still reading and replying to reviews, crying from how nice they are more often than I'd expect, thank you all so much. I love all of my followers, people who subscribe and those of you who just stumble across my story so much! I ended two sentences with 'so much' in a row... did I mention I've been drinking?


	9. Morning in the Fox's Den

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It's morning in Casa de Wilde and we get to see how the two get along. Spoiler alert, it's well.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So we get both sides of that phone call from last chapter. We'll also get a small tour of Nick's home for Judy's benefit. 
> 
> I decided to abandon the Chapter numbering and now am using Chapter Titles. Freaking prolog threw off the numbering system...
> 
> Still don't own Zootopia.

"Hey Finn, didn't think I'd be hearing from you so soon. What can I do for you?"

"Fox, you have a lot of goddamn nerve to be talking to me like that. You have an acceptance letter from the Police Academy in our PO Box."

"I told you not to go through my mail!"

"After all we been through, you are signing up with the fuzz? That's not going to make my hustles any easier Nick!"

"That's not my fucking problem Finn, if you don't like it you can fuck right off."

"You're actually serious about this? You're going to walk away and blindly follow that bunny just cause she asked you to?"

"Yes I'm serious, I can do better Finn, and I will."

"If you do this you'll never make as much as we did."

"It's not about the money anymore. Look if you can't deal with it just put the letter back in the box and never call me again. Otherwise you're welcome to drop off my mail like usual and we'll talk about this." Nick pushed the button to end the call and then he shouted, "FUCK!"

As Nick sat down on the couch and placed his head in his paws Judy walked in. He looked up at her and she saw clearly the sadness written on his face as he spoke to her, "Hey Carrots. Sorry you had to hear that."

Judy didn't say anything just continued to walk towards him. She spread his arms apart and hopped up on his lap sitting across his legs and wrapped her arms around his chest hugging him tightly burying her face in his shirt. He didn't even hesitate before he brought his arms around her in kind hugging her tightly. She once again was blow away at the size of his paws as they began rubbing her back lightly, each one was almost the size of her entire back. Unthinking she let her ears fall down softly along her back and Nick removed one of his paws from her back and instead stroked her ears softly. Judy let out a contented sigh at his ministrations until he let his claws brush ever so gently against her flesh. She shivered at the contact and he froze retracting his claw.

Judy whined cutely, "Why did you stop? That felt so good." Nick chuckled and resumed his attention to her ears. She hummed into his chest for a moment before she spoke up again, "Want to tell me what Finn wanted? It's fine if you don't, but if you wanted to get it off you're chest…"

Nick took a deep breath through his nose getting a heady sniff of the bunny in his lap. He held his breath in for a few moments before he spoke, "Finn and I share a PO box and the acceptance letter for the Academy came in today. He saw who the letter was from and opened it up. Obviously he's not too happy to hear that I'm going to the dark side." He kept stoking her back and ears while he talked. Judy loved the attention he was giving her and feeling the vibrations of him talking through his chest was almost divine.

She laughed at his little joke, "Nice try Slick, you were already on the dark side, you going to the light side now. Though I am sorry to hear that it's driving a wedge between you and Finn, I know he's your friend."

Nick sighed sadly, "It's… well it's not fine but it is what it is. I knew this would happen, and I should have told him myself. This isn't the way I wanted him to find out. I guess I'm a bit of a coward sometimes Carrots."

Judy shook her head, "No you're not Nick. You're the bravest mammal I've ever met, bar none. You just didn't want to hurt your friend, it happens. Give him a few days if he needs it and reach out an olive branch. Just because the two of you are on different paths now doesn't mean you can't still be friends."

Nick smiled, "I hope you're right Carrots, I really do."

Judy put her paws on his chest and pushed back beaming up at him, "Sweet cheese and crackers Nick! You got into the Academy? I mean I knew you would, there was no question, but still, how does it feel Slick?"

Nick left his paws on her shoulder when he replied, "I don't know, it all feels a little unreal actually. Like, I've been doing hustles and the like for twenty years, more than half my life by a wide margin. I should be regretting leaving it behind or thinking back with rose tinted glasses, but instead I'm excited for what lies ahead. I'm really looking forward to helping mammals with you. 3 months ago that would have been the furthest from the truth. I don't think you'll ever know what you've done for me Judy."

Judy felt her heart squeeze in her chest hearing him use her name. Somehow just him saying Judy made everything he said much more potent. Still she shook her head, "You were always ready to change Nick, at best I helped open your eyes. But enough about all that: we need to celebrate! I'm taking you out to dinner tonight" Nick opened his mouth but she rolled right over him, "I'm not hearing it Slick. Tonight we are going out, I'll choose the place and I'm paying. It's the least I can do, besides you payed for dinner last night. Besides it's Friday and I have to go back to work Monday, I have to celebrate my last days off."

Nick smiled and relented, "Alright Fluff that's fair." He ran his claw through her ears once again, "Thank you Judy."

She hummed, hugged him once again and hopped off his lap landing on the floor, "Okay, are you feeling better?"

Nick nodded and stood up, "Much, thank you. Well, what did you want to do in the meantime?"

Judy looked towards the door of the living quarters, "Could you show me the rest of the warehouse? I'm curious to see what else you have laying around."

Nick smirked at her, "Of course, I was going to do that anyways." The two of them made their way out of the living quarters and into the main warehouse. Nick gestured around, "Where would you like to start?"

She glanced around and while most areas were readily apparent of what they were for, the quadrant right in front of them was sill a mystery. It was full of odds and ends and no matter what she could not make heads or tails of what it was for. Judy struck out towards the piles of items and said, "Well, what is all this for? Not knowing has been killing me!"

Nick smiled sadly, "Of course you'd want to start here… these are all part of my old hustles. Everything from costumes to laminating stations. Over here (he pointed to a rack of jumpsuits) is one of my favorites, Finn and I dressed up as parking attendants during one of the city's concerts. We directed people on where to park for one of the free lots and charged each car $10. We did that one a few times. Once the concert security even found us out, but because we were maximizing the amount of cars that could fit to maximize our profits they let it slide. Something about them being happy to get more people in the stadium."

Judy pointed to one of the filing cabinets, "So what are these for?"

Nick started pointing around to different cabinets, "This one is for concert dates and the kind of crowds they pull. Over here" he pointed to one of the largest cabinets, "we have the pay days of different companies matched up against daily temperatures presented by the climate control team. That one took a long time to get right, but it's how we were able to sell all the pawpsicles so fast every day."

"And this one" he pointed to a smaller filing cabinet, "is where I keep my little black book." Judy shot him a look, "Wrong kind of little black book Carrots. It's my list of contacts both foreign and domestic. It's also my favor ledger, who owes me, who I owe. Things like that. With what I have in those files I could… well, I could do a lot."

Nick spoke openly the whole time, Judy could tell he wasn't hiding anything, but she also knew he was ashamed of his past. She walked up and placed a paw on her arm, "Thank you for telling me Nick. It's honestly impressive the lengths you'd go through for each of your schemes."

"They were hustles Carrots."

"Sorry, hustles. I… I'm sorry you had to do them in the first place. Someone like you? You should have been running a company or retired by now. Not busting your ass hustling for $200 a day."

Nick turned to face her and rubbed the top of her head between her ears affectionately, "Ah it's okay Carrots, I've made my peace with it long ago. Besides, if I was running my own company I doubt we'd have ever met. Think how boring that would have been for you!"

Judy just smiled up at him and moved on to the next area, "So this is your workout area I take it?" She spotted some dumbbells as well as a set of barbells. There was also a heavy punching bag with a speed bag close by with a few different style gloves hanging on the wall. There was also a contraption with cables and pulleys that appeared to be configurable to work out a number of different sets of muscles.

Nick grabbed a length of cloth and tossed it to Judy, "Sorry, I don't have any gloves in your size, but you should at least wrap your paws first."

Judy began weaving the cloth between her fingers with practiced movement, "Oh? Are we going to spar? I'd hate to put you back in the hospital so soon."

Nick chuckled at the joke while wrapping his own paws, "I was thinking we could just work the bag for starters. Knowing you, you probably have a ton of energy after breakfast and I really don't want to be on the receiving end of that. I remember that punch of yours in the subway. And that was just an excited jab while sitting!"

After she finished wrapping Nick grabbed her paws and inspected them, ensuring everything was correct. Bare knuckle boxing, even just using a bag, is a great way to break a finger if you're not careful. Judy blushed slightly at the touch, she was taken aback at how his rougher fingers could feel so soft on her paws. Seeing everything was done correctly and the cloth was nice and tight he presented his own paws to be looked over. He marveled at how soft her paws were as she poked, prodded, and pulled making sure everything was perfect.

When she was satisfied Nick's wrappings were secure he stood up and moved to the far side of the bag to hide his own blush and grabbed on holding the bag still. "Alright Carrots, let's get to work." For the next half hour Nick called out punches or combos and Judy preformed them with a few quick breaks. They started light to warm up and proceeded to get harder and faster. Nick knew the little bunny in front of him had passed the Police Academy as the valedictorian, but her pounding away at the bag was just another in a long list of reminders of that fact. She was fast, unbelievably so, and almost freakishly strong for her size.

Judy took a step back from the bag, sweat glistening on her face and her chest heaving slightly and said, "Okay Slick, your turn!"

Nick stepped up to the bag and just like he had done for Judy she began to call out different punches and combos. Nick started off hitting a little lighter than he needed to not wanting to push Judy off balance, but she had a firm grip and her feet were plated firmly. He quickly realized he didn't need to hold back and began to hit the bag harder and harder. After a few minutes of warming up Nick fell into a trance like state. He focused on his breathing and although he was still following her calls he wasn't really hearing them anymore.

Judy shouted out a final combo, "Uppercut, left jab, right straight!" Nick's paws flew through the motions finishing with a vicious blow from his right fist. It was so powerful that Judy was finally pushed back off her feet. Instead of falling over she clung onto the bag swinging through the air slightly. Nick was stunned into silence for a moment before he burst out laughing. He reached out tears flowing down his face from laughing so hard and lifted her off the punching bag but before he could set her down gently he collapsed onto his back dropping her on the ground next to him, her head resting on his arm as he continued to laugh.

"I'm glad you found that so funny. Jeez Nick, I knew you were strong but I didn't realize you were that strong. I don't think the rhino instructor at the Academy hit that hard." Judy started to laugh too, "Ugh, my arms are totally numb." She flopped her arms uselessly in the air to drive her point home. She let it flop down onto Nick's face and he grunted weakly at the offending appendage.

He moved to bat the arm off his face but she just moved it back. Nick grumbled for a moment before saying, "If you don't move your arm Carrots, I'll have to bite it."

She lifted her arm and after a moment let it fall back down, "Sorry, can't move it, too tired. You'll have to eat your way to freedom Slick…"

Nick opened his mouth wide and her arm fell into it. Nick clamped down slightly holding her arm in place but not actually biting hard enough for it to hurt letting out a playful growl. Judy let out a chuckle at his antics but didn't move to pull her arm out and just left it in there. After realizing that Judy wasn't going to flinch first he opened his mouth and made a gagging noise moving her arm to his chest, "Ugh, you taste like sweat. I thought you showered today?"

She rolled over and hit his chest with her other paw, of course that meant she was laying mostly on his chest. He sighed in contentment before she spoke up, "You're ridiculously comfortable you know that?"

"Hmm? I actually didn't know that. I don't cuddle with cute girls all that often if you can believe it."

Judy wanted to be mad at him for indirectly calling her cute again but was too happy, "I actually can't believe it. A handsome tod like you? How are you not beating the vixens off with a stick?"

Nick grunted, "Eh, never met the vixen worth my time so I never made myself available you know? I preferred being alone I guess."

Judy did notice the use of past tense there, but decided not to comment, "I see, well that's too bad Nick, they'd been lucky to have you. Okay, five more minutes then I'll need another shower, I'm all sweaty and you're not helping with that."

"You're not wrong there Carrots, two weeks in a coma didn't really do me any favors for my endurance. You'll have to help whip me back into shape before they ship me out. Think you're up to the task?"

"Mmm, yeah probably, how do you feel about morning jogs?"

"Hate them, how far were you thinking?"

Judy thought for a moment, "Well I'll start us off easy, 3 miles at 7 tomorrow morning. We'll increase our distance as time goes on."

Nick groaned, "Ugh, I don't know how I let you talk me into all of this… fine, I'm in. Thanks Judy, I know you won't let me down."

Judy just hummed but didn't actually answer. Nick closed his eyes and started to stroke her ears again softly as she slowly drifted off to sleep.

* * *

Nick woke up slightly confused. He would have opened his eyes, but he was just too content. Someone with tiny paws was stroking his tail with extreme care. One breath through his nose told him that the someone was Judy. He knew deep down he should have told her to stop, a fox's tail is important to them, they are usually only aloud to be touched by family or lovers. Judy wouldn't have known this having been born a bunny and growing up in Bunnyburrow.

Though he wanted to tell her to stop he couldn't bring himself to do it as her light delicate touches felt amazing. Judy for her part was loving every second of playing with his tail. At some point while they were napping he must have wrapped it around her because she woke up when it started tickling her nose. She knew that she should have left it alone, she had read up on foxes and their culture while Nick was in his coma in the hospital. She knew she wanted to be with him so she had to learn to recognize their signs and social cues.

Him draping his tail over her was a pretty big one from what she learned, though had she realized how important petting a fox's tail was she wouldn't be doing it without his permission. She simply equated it to touching a bunny's ears, which is only something a close friend would do, but not necessarily lovers.

Only a minute or so after Nick woke up Judy noticed his breathing had changed; he must be waking up. She stopped petting his tail and instead poked him softly in his muzzle causing him to groan out sounding annoyed. She giggled at him and kept poking, "Get up sleepy head! Come on, we're wasting the day away!"

Nick opened a hateful eye at her, "I don't think you have any right to call me sleepyhead… you were the first one to take a nap if memory serves. Besides, I slept in my armchair last night, what's your excuse?"

Judy hadn't been able to fall asleep straight away being too excited both because of living with Nick and sleeping in his bed. Of course she'd never be able to admit that to Nick, but it had taken her quite a while to finally fall asleep. "Your house is… too quiet?"

Nick smirked and asked, "Are you asking me or telling me?"

"Telling. I grew up with 275 siblings and even once I moved out of my home in Bunnyburrow I moved to downtown Zootopia. I'm used to more noise when I fall asleep at night I guess."

Nick nodded and said, "Hmm, we'll have to add a white noise machine to our shopping list today I suppose. I'm sorry you had a rough night Carrots."

Judy hummed for a second before she replied, "Hmm it's okay, you already made up for it by being a perfect pillow and blanket just now."

Nick chuckled and Judy climbed off of him stretching her arms above her head groaning loudly. Nick stood up and rolled his neck cracking it loudly letting out a pained/contented sigh. After he finished he turned to his sleeping companion, "Well, what do you say we get shopping Fluff? We'll need to get food as well as some other supplies if you're going to be staying here."

The two of them set off towards his living area first, "Supplies? What do I need besides the white noise machine?"

"Well, some bubble bath for one." Judy was shocked and touched that he'd remembered, "And we'll need a few small step stools for you around the house. Make it easier for you to get around and use the counter tops or the sinks."

Judy hopped out in front of Nick stopping him in his tracks, "How do you do that?"

"Do what Carrots?"

"Constantly outdo yourself! Just when I think you cant get any nicer, any more thoughtful you somehow manage to blow my expectations out of the water! You opened your house up to me and that was like the 5th nicest thing you've done in the last 24 hours. I just don't understand why you're always being so nice to me."

Nick bent down a little so they were at eye level with each other, "Because you make it easy for me to be nice to you Judy, that's all."

She swore that him using her name like that should be illegal, but he seemingly didn't notice how flush her face had become and he stood back up and made his way inside. "Come-on Carrots! We should at least change our clothes before we head out, my shirt's all sweaty and gross."

"Yeah, same here. Let's get changed and get going! Oh man, I cant wait to stock this place up on some snacks!"

Nick raised an eyebrow incredulously, "Didn't peg you for the junk food type Carrots."

"No! Snacks like baby carrots, broccoli, spinach chips…"

"Forget it, I'm sorry I asked."

"Fine, we'll get some garbage too, if it'll make you happy."

Nick laughed, "Yes it would, it'd make me very happy indeed." Though the part that truly made him happy wasn't the junk food, no, it was the fact that she said 'we'll get some snacks'. The idea of them being a group, or a pair meant more than he would have thought.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> As always thank you for the follows and the Favorites. I'm leaving for a vacation today so any reviews posted this week might take a bit for me to respond to.
> 
> P.S. I loved writing that nap scene, it was so damn cute to me. I hope you liked it too! <3


	10. Shopping for Two for Once

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Our favorite fox bunny duo go out shopping for some needed supplies. Some other mammals get the wrong idea.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, fair warning, I'm running low on reserve chapters. I know I'm awful at posting here regularly to begin with, but heads up, there might start being a bit of a delay between posts. 
> 
> Still don't own Zootopia, OR DO I? No, I don't.

* * *

Nick sat back in the passengers seat as Judy tore up the streets once again. They had rolled their windows down and were enjoying the wind blowing through their fur. Nick was grinning slightly showing off his teeth a little. He was taught at a young age to never show his teeth around prey as it tended to make them nervous, but as Judy had allowed him to clamp down on her arm he correctly guessed that she wasn't afraid of his fangs. That fact alone would have been enough to have him grinning from ear to ear, but riding in his car with Judy was pretty great too.

Judy still being relatively new to the city listened to Nick as he guided her through the streets finally arriving at a parking garage. The two locked their doors and stepped out of the Shelby. Nick led the way and they quickly left the garage and stepped out into the city streets quickly finding the grocery store Nick likes to frequent. It was a smallish mom and pop store called Blueberry Fields, Judy shot him a look when she read the sign. "Yeah, yeah I know, but they have a really good selection of food especially fruits and vegetables. I figured you would probably want some of the fresher foods to keep up your super-bunny status!"

Judy tried and failed to give him a hard look but it quickly devolved into a sweet smile, "Thanks Slick, I appreciate you're always thinking of me. Now, let's see what they have!"

The two walked throughout the store sharing a cart and grabbing anything they needed or wanted. Judy's ear swung around as she heard a pair of female wolves whispering at the end of the isle they were in, "Must be a pair of inters. Oh that poor bunny, do you think the fox is taking advantage of her?" Judy was pissed to hear them bad mouthing her fox like that, but decided to keep it to herself for now. She did wonder what caused to wolves to think that she and Nick were together.

While Judy was puzzling over the two wolves Nick had caught a few predators shooting them dirty looks but he wrote it off as simply being a fox as receiving dirty looks was not uncommon for the tod. It wasn't until they walked past a coyote who stopped and sniffed the air that Nick realized what the looks were about, the two of their scents had become almost totally intertwined, and it wasn't exactly a light smell either. It must have been from when they had taken the sweaty nap together causing the scent to be… richer than normal.

Nick was panicking on the inside, 'Holy shit! What the fuck was I thinking!? Just changing our shirts was nowhere near enough. How did I not notice earlier? Stupid sexy Carrots, keeping me distracted. They must all think the two of us have been banging all morning. God, do I tell her? How would I tell her?'

Nick looked over to the bunny beside him and he realized instantly that she deserved to know. He leaned down next to her and whispered as quietly as he could, "Carrots, I have to tell you something… awkward."

Judy looked over at him with a questioning look, "Sure Slick, what's up?"

Nick took a deep breath, "From our brief workout and nap afterwards… I think some mammals around here are under the impression that we… slept together judging from our smell."

Judy's ears turned a little red but there was hardly any other reaction, "Oh, is that all? Well I guess that's a fair assumption, not that it's anyone's business but ours if that were the case. I was wondering why those wolves thought we were inters."

Nick was floored by her reaction, "That's all you have to say?! They think we were fucking Carrots."

Judy waved her paw and turned back to their shopping, "Yes slick I get what 'slept together' meant, but it's not that bad."

Nick wanted to yell, to tell her how insane she was, but he had no argument that he wanted to make. What would he say, 'No Carrots, you should be repulsed by the very thought of sleeping with me.'? It seemed counterproductive to his happiness, he did want to be with her though he still didn't think it could ever happen.

After that they finished up their shopping without incident with the exception of arguing who should pay for all the food. They finally settled on splitting the bill 50/50 which neither of them were particularly happy about. Thankfully while Judy was still working on getting her credit card to go through he was able to grab all the bags in his paws, wanting to be chivalrous for a change. When she spotted that he was going to carry all the groceries she wanted to object but then she noticed how his biceps were bulging slightly in his shirt she kept her mouth shut to avoid drooling.

It wasn't fair how good looking he was to her. His fluid movements, his smug grin and his quick wit were all sinfully hot. She was so lost staring at his arms she almost didn't even notice when they entered another store. It wasn't until she was hit with a blast of air conditioned wind that she noticed they were in a home goods store.

Nick continued to lead the way and directed her to the bathing isle, "Well Carrots, here you go! Grab any kind of bubble bath you want, my treat, no argument!"

Judy once again felt her heart tighten at how sweet he was to her and not trusting her voice simply chose to nod and turned to the wide selection available. She was completely overwhelmed until one bottle caught her eye. It had the normal jargon of 'Deep Clean!' or 'Great for Soft Fur' that the rest of the bottles had, but the difference was that it was blueberry scented.

She popped the top open and took a quick sniff sighing at the pleasant smell before offering it up to Nick. He raised an eyebrow to her but took a whiff as well smiling at the sweetened perfume of the soap. "Smells nice Carrots, is that the one you're gonna go with?"

Judy smiled devilishly, "I think so. I think I'll like what it does for me."

Nick's eyes narrowed at that wondering what she meant by her tone but didn't say anything instead choosing to make his way down another isle looking for something. He stopped in front of a selection of differently sized step ladders and stepping stools. He grabbed a few and set them up, "Alright, which ones would you like? I think 2 aught to be enough, one for the kitchen and the other for the bathroom."

Judy nodded and tried a few of them checking how stable they were and how comfortable they would be for extended use. She choose 2 different ones, a wide one for the kitchen and a smaller stool for the bathroom. Nick wanted to pay for the two items and instead of getting into an argument decided to broch the topic gently, "Carrots, I'd like to buy these two step ladders for you."

Judy opened her mouth to object but Nick didn't give her a chance, "Now hold on a second and let me explain. I want my house to be as welcoming as possible and these will be a step in the right direction, and I want to do that for you." Judy looked like she still wanted to argue so Nick pulled out a trump card, "Please let me do this for you, I want to do this."

Judy still wanted to say something, but the earnest look on his face made it impossible to object, "Okay Slick, you've already done more than enough, but thank you for always trying to make me feel welcome." Nick's face lit up at hearing that and he simply nodded before heading towards the front of the store.

They got to the front and dropped off the items onto a register being run by an older looking female goat who's badge read 'Margret'. She scanned the two steps and the bubble bath and Nick stepped up to pay for the items. Before Margret accepted the payment she looked over at Nick and the bags he was carrying. She eyed them suspiciously for a moment and then she spoke, "Sir, I'm going to have to check your bags."

Judy looked between the two of them and noticed immediately that Nick's genuine smile was gone and was replaced with his mask of casual indifference. He almost sounded happy when he said, "Sure ma'am, I have the receipt for these items as well if you'd like to see it."

Before Nick could pass the bags up onto the belt Judy placed a paw on his arm stopping him, "Margret, why do you need to see inside these bags?"

Nick looked over at Judy and said quietly with a slight twinge of sadness, "It's fine Carrots. Don't worry about it."

Margret apparently didn't hear Nick and said, "Well, I need to make sure nothing ended up in there. I'm sure if anything did fall in it was by mistake."

Nick wanted nothing more than to have the spiciest jerk look through his bags and let him be on his way, but Judy seemed determined to make a scene. "I was with him the whole time, he hasn't stolen anything and that fact you'd even suggest that is insulting!"

Margret was taken aback at the sudden outburst, "Well I just wanted to be sure… I don't see what the big deal is."

Nick was curious to see how far Judy was going to take this, "Is it company policy to check outside bags?"

"Well, no, but it's just that he's a…"

Judy's voice had never sounded more dangerous, "He's a what?!"

Margaret seemed to have finally realized her mistake, "Uh… nothing. Sorry for the delay. Let me finish up your order."

Nick could tell that Judy wanted nothing more than to tear the goat a new asshole but he used his free paw to pat her shoulder and when she looked up at him he just shook his head once. She saw the sadness behind his eyes and just dropped it taking his paw in hers. Nick squeezed once and let go, resuming the transaction.

Once the receipt was printed Margaret said, "Uh, you two have a good day."

Judy was the one to respond, "Thanks! I hope you either stop being such a spiciest jerk or have a shit life. Let's go Nick." Her tone brokered no argument and Nick followed closely behind. They walked in silence back to the car and stashed their purchased items into the back. They opened their doors and sat down into their respective seats and closed their doors without saying a word.

Judy slipped the key into the ignition but didn't start the car. After a moment she let out a sigh and turned to the fox in the passenger's seat, "Why didn't you stand up for yourself Nick? I know you well enough to know you can talk any mammal round in circles, so why not now?"

Nick couldn't look her in the eye so he replied to the dashboard, "It wasn't worth it. I could've talked back and maybe convinced her to let me walk, by why bother? It wouldn't change anything."

Judy rested a paw on his leg, "Maybe it wouldn't change anything, but it would've been the right thing to do. You are still the best mammal I know, and it hurts me to see you ignore that Nick."

Nick wasn't sure why he was continuously surprised by Judy's relentless care for him, "I'm sorry Carrots, you're right. It was easier to just let those things slide, and I was always one for the path of least resistance…" He slid his paw over hers and squeezed it lightly.

Judy flipped her paw so their fingers intertwined, his dwarfing hers. As he looked over and their eyes met for the first time since they got in the car she said, "Sorry Slick, the path of least resistance is gone to you now that you've decided to become a cop. And if you're going to be my partner you're going to have to adopt a higher opinion of yourself."

Nick nodded, "I know Carrots, it'll be easy with you constantly reminding me. Now come on, I don't know about you, but I want to go home."

Judy checked the clock on the dash, "Oh carrot sticks! Is it really already 3:00? Come on, we have to get back and get ready: we have a reservation for 5:00"

Nick's face flashed with surprise, "Wait, we have a reservation? I was figuring you were just going to take us out to a Bugga Burger or something. Where are you taking me?"

"Uh uh, no way Slick, it's a surprise. You'll see at 5:00"

Nick smiled and let go of her paw, "Well then, you think you can find your way back on your own?"

"Watch me!" The car roared back to life and they sped out of the garage.

* * *

Once again Judy backed the car into place and the overhead door lowered into place. They stepped out of the car and moved towards the back. When Nick got there he saw that Judy had beaten him and already was carrying a few of the grocery bags and one of the stools. Nick gave her a slight smile and grabbed the remaining items turning towards home. Judy popped the door open and they stepped inside.

After they put their groceries away Nick said, "Well, we have plenty of time before dinner, did you want to break in your bubble bath?"

Judy placed a paw over her mouth and gasped in shock, "Wow, Mr. Wilde! Are you asking to bathe with me? That's rather forward."

Nick's heart was lodged in his throat and he couldn't form a coherent response. As panic was about to truly set in he noticed Judy was ginning slightly behind her paw. Realizing she was trying to pull one over on him he decided to flip the script, "Actually Carrots, that's exactly what I'm asking. What do you say? I could use some help scrubbing my back."

It was Judy's turn to be at a loss for words, it took more than a little willpower to not shout out yes and that left her with nothing to say at all. It wasn't until she noticed Nick sticking out his tongue that her brain finally caught up. She stepped up and batted his chest once with an open paw without actually swinging hard enough to hurt, "Ah! You jerk, I almost thought you were serious for a second."

"That makes two of us Carrots. If it wasn't for your lousy poker face I'm not sure I would have figured it out."

Judy let out a breath and said, "Okay, maybe not my best joke. Sorry about that Nick."

"It's fine Judy, I should've known. It was actually kinda funny. Now go get your fluffy behind out of hear before I start thinking you're serious again."

Judy didn't trust her voice so she just nodded while her ears turned scarlet while Nick stood mostly frozen in the kitchen. As soon as she stepped into the bathroom Nick made his way over to the fridge and opened it up grabbing a beer and after a moment a second one. He popped the top on both bottles before sitting down at the island. He brought the first bottle to his lips and polished it off in one go, he was right when he told Finnick it was stale as hell.

Nick internalized his thoughts, 'Focus Wilde, focus on how flat the beer is. Whatever you do don't focus on the fact that Judy Hopps, the most beautiful mammal you've ever seen, is currently naked in your bathtub. Think about how even with the beer being stale it still tastes good, how the familiar flavor and scents remind you of BBQs with Finn. Don't think of Judy scrubbing her long, impossibly soft ears while her feet poke up out of the suds. Consider the second bottle and the condensation forming on it while you bring it up for a sip. DON'T consider what Judy would look like stepping out of the tub, dripping wet much like the bottle in your paws. This isn't working, okay brain, time to shut the fuck up and finish the second beer.'

He brought the bottle up to his lips and polished it off as well with a satisfied smack of his lips. With a contented sigh his brain finally quieted down to a dull roar. He sat there for a few extra minutes letting the alcohol work its way through his blood stream before he hopped off his chair and made his way over to his big ass couch sinking into the cushions. 'I need to clear my mind, Judy would be disgusted if she knew what I've been thinking.'

* * *

As soon as she closed the door to the bathroom Judy leaned against it almost hyperventilating. As she stood there getting her heart-rate back under control she spotted the step stool by the sink and her heart fluttered once again. Judy thought to herself, 'He really is the nicest mammal I know, and how do I repay that kindness? By basically sexually harassing him! God I almost dragged him in here by his belt when he said he wanted me to wash his back. His big, strong, wide, back. Mmm, I remember how strong it felt it while I was checking his bandages under the bridge.'

Judy was able to focus enough to get her breathing under control and start drawing her bath. Once the water was warm enough she put the plug in and added some of her new bubble bath immediately enjoying the smell that filled the room. When tub was filled so she could lay back without it being over her head she turned off the water and began to strip. Once her clothes were removed she sniffed herself and was pleased to find that she did smell Nick in her fur. Smelling her fox on herself almost made Judy reconsider taking the bath, though thinking for a moment the realized that might be a bit hard to explain to Nick. Taking one last sniff of fox she grabbed the stool and climbed into the bath and let out a sigh as the bubbles tickled her fur and the warm water flowed against her flesh.

Grabbing one of the wash cloths she began to lightly scrub herself clean and let her mind wander a bit. Predictably once she let her mind off it's leash it ran straight back to thoughts of Nick, 'This tub is actually too big for just me, it would be so much more comfortable if he was in here too so I could sit on his lap. His paws would wrap around me and hold me tight for just a while then he'd begin to wash me. He'd scrub my back from my shoulders to the tip of my tail. Then he'd start on my front… NO! Judy you need to stop thinking about this! It's not right to think about Nick that way, and if you keep it up you'll need a second bath before you're done with this one.'

* * *

Nick heard Judy step out of the bathroom after she'd been in there for about 30 minutes. As she stepped across the hall to the bedroom she called out, "Bathroom's free if you wanted to take that shower Slick!"

Nick replied from his spot on the couch, "Thanks Carrots, I think I will." He stood up off the couch and made his way back to the fridge to grab another bottle of beer. He was feeling pleasantly buzzed already and wanted to keep that going if he could. He popped the top off by placing it on the corner of the island and smacking cap with the palm of his paw catching the cap before it hit the ground.

As he closed the door to the bathroom behind him his nose was once again assaulted by scents, though this time Judy's was faint with artificial blueberries being the primary smell in the room. The combination was pleasant and he hummed to himself in delight. He set his beer down on the edge of the sink and stripped off his clothes noting with mild annoyance he was again partially aroused. "Stupid sexy Carrots…" he muttered to himself. When he turned on the shower head he decided to start the shower off a bit colder than usual.

As the cold water was doing it trick he though how if he was going to keep being aroused by her showering he'd have to start taking his shower before Judy. Even though having her around was similar to torture in some regards, (her scent was driving him mad at times), he knew it was going to crush him when it came time for her to move out. He'd need to come up with excuses to see her as often as he could without seeming creepy.

As he turned the temperature up in the shower he brought the beer to his muzzle drinking it slowly. He faced away from the shower and let the water flow down his back, the cold beer and warm water making a pleasing contradiction. He smiled even as he felt his eyes well up with tears, he sobbed softly to himself, "God I'm so pathetic. Just thinking about her leaving and I'm crying like a little kit. Come-on Nick, you've got to get your shit together. Judy's taking you out for a celebration tonight you can't step out of here with your eyes all bloodshot: you'd kill the mood. She's trying to do something nice for you, no matter how little you deserve it, and you will not ruin it!"

He slapped his cheek lightly a few times to psych himself up and finished off his beer setting the now empty bottle on one of the ledges in the shower. With his paws free and his emotions more under control he set about scrubbing himself clean. As he was rubbing Judy's scent out of his fur he paused, he didn't need to clear out all of her scent, just enough that passing mammals wouldn't notice. The thought pleased him, until he considered Judy, it'd be a betrayal of her trust. Sadly he resumed scrubbing his fur, making sure to get every last trace of her out.

Once he was finished Nick turned off the shower and grabbed the bottle. He considered it for a moment thinking to himself, 'I'm not usually this emotional, I'm going to blame it on the beer. I need to be careful around Carrots, if she says something about bathing with her again I don't know if I'd be able to contain myself. And my erection's back, fucking… cool.'

Nick stepped out of the tub and into the fur dryer only now realizing he forgot a towel. He'd just throw on his pants once he was dry and that should be fine. When he was dry he turned off the dryer and slipped on his pants, he considered putting on his shirt as well, but it still smelled slightly of Judy and would defeat the purpose of the shower.

He opened the bathroom door and stepped across the hall, his bedroom door was slightly ajar but he thought it'd be safer if he knocked softly. Judy called out from the living room or kitchen, "I'm all set in there Slick, feel free to get dressed. We're not in a rush, but we should get going kinda soon."

"Copy that Carrots. I'll be ready in just a minute." Nick stepped inside his room and spotted something he wasn't expecting, Judy had left an outfit for him on his bed. There were a pair of dark blue slacks with a black button up shirt and a deep red tie. It was nicer than he was planning but it would look pretty nice all together so he set about getting dressed without delay. He finished fixing (loosening) his tie as he stepped out of the room and headed towards the living room, he spotted Judy sitting at the island and made his way over towards her.

When he noticed what she was wearing Nick stopped dead in his tracks. It was a simple light yellow sundress with an assorted flower pattern. Nick wasn't sure what he was expecting her to wear, but it certainly wasn't that. When she finally noticed him standing a few feet away Judy said happily, "Oh good, you did see the outfit I left out for you. It looks good Slick, black really is your color."

Nick didn't respond right away, still caught up in what he was seeing. He finally realized he was standing there like an idiot just looking at her so he finally spoke up, "You look beautiful Judy." If he hadn't had the 3 beers he probably would have kept that comment to himself, but it didn't make it any less true.

Judy's ears both shot straight up and flushed red. She turned away from the fox standing there staring at her and her ears fell as she starting stroking her one of them in embarrassment. Judy responded softly, "No I don't. I've never been beautiful and some stupid sundress won't change that."

Nick found himself walking right up to her and cupped her cheek in his paw and turned her head until she was facing him her paw stopping midway down her ear. When she finally looked up at him and met his eyes he said, "Whoever told you that you weren't beautiful, no scratch that. Whoever hasn't told you that you're beautiful are the dumbest mammals out there."

Judy reached her paw up and set it over his and leaned her face into his touch, "Do you really mean that Nick? You really think I'm pretty?"

"Not pretty Carrots, you Judy, are beautiful." He was suddenly struck with the thought of kissing her, but chose to simply stand there holding her cheek instead. It seemed to him what she needed at that moment more than anything.

When Judy spoke up again after a minute just sitting there holding his paw and relishing in his touch her eyes were shimmering slightly with unshed tears, "If you keep calling me beautiful I might start believing it."

"Well I guess I have no choice but to keep saying it then."

"Do you think you'll ever stop saying it?"

"Maybe when one of us dies… or if you get fat."

Judy did notice that he basically said, in not so many words, 'Till death do us part' but instead focused on the fat comment, "Way to ruin the moment Slick. Still, thank you, that was the nicest thing anyone has ever said to me." She stood up on the stool and pulled his paw of her face but slipped her paw in his holding it softly, "Well, shall we get going? It's about time we get going if we want to be on time for the reservation."

Nick smiled down at his bunny, "Of course. I am curious on where you decided to take me tonight. So lets get going." He turned to leave, but Judy tugged his arm and he staggered back a step. Judy reached up and grabbed his muzzle and kissed his cheek for a long moment.

She let go of him and he stood up and looked down at her beaming up at him. He touched his cheek bemused and she said hopping off her chair, "Well lets going them Slick!" Nick was once again frozen in place as she made her way towards the door with a bounce in her step. As he started off after her slowly he did notice her dress had a little hole in the back that she'd fed her tail through, which had two benefits. One: her fluffy tail was still on full display, and two: it held her dress tight to her perfectly formed rear putting it fully on display while still covering everything. Nick offered up a silent prayer in thanks to Karma as he closed the door to his living room and made his way to his car.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I had a ton of fun writing this chapter, so I hope everyone likes it! Next chapter is the actual da-diner. JUST DINER, NOTHING ELSE. If you have any comments feel free to leave it in a review as I read them all. Someone mentioned that a lot of stores do have a policy of no outside bags but I've never encountered this so apologies if that section strikes you as disingenuous. I couldn't think of a good replacement.
> 
> I promised a reader I'd be posting this today around noon, but I hauled my ass out of bed earlier than I was planning sooooo EARLY CHAPTER!


	11. Date Night pt. 1

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Judy takes Nick out for a feeler date to see if he feels the same for her as she does for him. Though he doesn't know it's a date.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I don't own Zootopia.
> 
> Oh, and new longest Chapter! So that's hype!

Nick looked over at Judy as she parked the car with suspicion written across his muzzle. She pretended to not notice him staring daggers at her and she grabbed her purse, "Come on Slick. Let get in there, I'm starving."

Nick asked her, "Okay Carrots, I'll bite. How the hell did you know about this place?"

She put on an air of innocence, "You mean The Dunes? Well it's not too far from the precinct and I always wanted to try eating here."

Nick did not sound convinced, "Uh-hu sure…"

Judy grinned at him, "Okay… I might have also seen your magnet on the fridge."

"And?"

"And you're bottle opener in your drawers. I figured if you had some of their merch you must like the place. I'm sorry if I chose the wrong spot Nick."

Before today Nick would have thought that this was the exactly wrong restaurant to go to with just the two of them. Small tables, dim lighting, occasionally classy music being played by a mammal or two, and very expensive meals. Nick had been there a few times before, working a mark usually, and a few times while he still worked for Mr. Big. But now, after the little conversation in the kitchen and the kiss! Well, maybe it was actually the perfect place for a dinner.

Nick reached over and stroked her ears once, "It's a great choice Judy. I was just wondering how you chose one of my favorite places at random. Should have known that you'd have dug through my place looking for clues. Find anything else interesting?" He said that last bit with a grin.

"Well you're computer's locked so I didn't find your porn stash." Nick broke out in a coughing fit but she just continued on, "But I did find a couple of city IDs stashed about… anything you want to tell me?" She raised an eyebrow coyly at her fox companion.

Judy hopped out of the car and made her way to the back while Nick followed suit, "If it makes you feel any better, I never used those to access any restricted areas. They were all for invisibility."

As they made their way over to the restaurant Judy asked, "Invisibility? Nice try Slick, even you can't turn invisible."

Nick rolled his eyes, "I wasn't actually invisible Carrots, I was just unnoticed. Most mammals ignore city workers, throw on a jumpsuit and a few bad smelling stains and no one would ever even look twice. The real secret is no major details, just minor things that would be forgotten the moment they looked away."

Judy was lost looking up at her walking companion, he really was a fascinating fox. After she didn't respond he continued, "I never used that trick for anything too illegal mind you, usually just sneaking into places like concerts of the fair. God the fair! I used to make as much in 24 hours at the fair as I'd make in a month. Good times… good times."

She just let out a short chuckle, "Dumb fox."

"Au contraire mon Carrots, I'm a very sly fox."

"That you are Slick, that you are."

The two walked in the front door sharing a laugh together. They walked up to the host, a lioness dressed in a black shirt with a matching skirt. Judy hopped up on the provided stepping stool and the lion greeted her, "Hello miss, welcome to the Dunes. Dinner for one, or will someone be joining you?"

"Judy Hopps, I have a reservation for two, and my dinner companion is already here." She gestured to Nick who gave the lioness a casual wave.

The hostess quirked an eyebrow and checked over her log book. "Ah yes, Hopps table for two. Wait a moment. It has a note here for…"

"YES! That's correct. Thank you."

The hostess paused for a moment but didn't comment further instead saying, "Just a moment and you're table will be ready. We need to swap out one of the chairs for your tall friend here, and then we'll take you right over."

Judy beamed up at the lioness, "Thank you so much!" She hopped down off of the stool and looked around for the first time really taking in the place. Most of the surfaces were made from a dark wood of some kind with the corners and edges having gold colored metal detailing. It made for a striking presentation. The ceiling was quite high to allow for a variety of mammals to sit comfortably with the dim lighting coming down from above, it was rather romantic.

After a brief moment where Judy was making a point not to look at Nick, she was too nervous to look him in the eyes right now. Thankfully there was plenty to keep her busy looking around The Dunes. Seeing the other mammals sitting at their tables, a number of which seemed to be on dates judging by their body language. There were a few families as well, most smiling and laughing in hushed tones trying to be respectful of the other diners.

One of the staff walked up and spoke quietly to the host who then turned to the Judy and Nick, "Okay, your table is all set, if you'd follow me?"

The two of them walked right behind the lioness and she showed them to their table. It was set in one of the darker corners with a small candle burning in its holder near the center just like the rest of the occupied tables. As the host gestured to the table Judy went to grab her chair, only for it to slide back on it's own. Looking over she saw Nick standing there, smirking slightly but with a touch of genuine happiness behind his eyes.

"Thanks Slick, didn't realize you were such a gentlmammal. Are you trying to sweep me off my feet now?"

After he slid her chair back in with Judy sitting comfortably Nick made his way to the opposite side of the table and sat down as well, "I've always been a gentlmammal, just never had someone worth being gentle with." Nick knew he was reveling more of his feelings than he normally would, but he couldn't help it: the combination of Judy's presence and the three beers he had were causing him to overshare. Though judging by the look of pleasant surprise on Judy's face she didn't mind him opening up to her.

Before he could say something he'd actually regret the lioness said, "Victor will be your server, he will be by in just a moment, and thank you for dining with us tonight, I hope you enjoy your stay." And with that she turned and headed back to the front of the restaurant leaving the two of them alone.

Normally Nick would have tried to find something to distract himself from Judy, but he found himself absolutely lost in her eyes only giving her a slight grin. They sat in silence simply staring at each other happily, seemingly without a care in the world.

So caught up with focusing on each other they missed the pig approaching their table until he was introducing himself, "Hello, my name is Victor, and I'll be your server tonight. Here are the glasses of wine as you requested." He set two glasses of red wine on the table, one for each of them.

Nick was the first to greet him, "Thanks Victor, but we didn't order any wine…"

Victor's smile was the same one that every mammal in the service industry wore, it wasn't sour or ill natured, just slightly tired. Nevertheless, he almost sounded cheerful when he responded, "That's true, but when the reservation was made there were a few requests put in. Isn't correct Miss Hopps?"

Judy smiled before she said, "That's absolutely correct Victor, thank you."

"Great, I'll be back in just a minute to take your orders. Until then, you two enjoy yourselves." Victor took a step back, paused and turned back, "I'm sure you are sick of hearing this Officer Hopps, but thank you for what you did for Zootopia. A good buddy of mine is a wolf and after the savage mammals he was getting a lot of hate out there. But after Bellwether was brought to justice a lot of that has cleared up."

Judy smiled sadly, "Thank you Victor, I'm sorry for what I said during that horrible press conference, but I'm glad things are starting to look up for your friend. You should thank Nick here as well, he helped me for both the missing mammal case and the savage outbreaks. I literally couldn't have done it without him."

"Well than thank you too Nick. I just wanted to take a moment and thank you both. Now I'll leave you be for a few minutes." With that he did walk away before either one of the two dumbstruck mammals could respond. When he was out of sight Judy looked back to Nick who was sitting with his mouth wide open. Judy giggling slightly reached across the table and pushed his lower jaw closed. When he shook himself out of his stupor he noticed that Judy was sitting there with her tongue poking out at him.

Nick apologized, "Sorry for zoning out like that Carrots, still getting used to mammals not treating me as just some shifty fox. It's… it's real nice, and it's all thanks to you Fluff."

Judy smiled, "It's not all thanks to me, but you're welcome Nick. Now," she picked up her glass of wine and waited for Nick to do the same, "here's to us, and to saving the city." They clinked their glasses together and they both took a sip, smiling at each other over the rim of their glasses.

As they set their wine down they opened the menus and looked over what they might order. Nick had been here a few times before so he knew almost straight away what he wanted, and he answered a few questions Judy had about their selection. After a few minutes Victor came back and took their orders, Nick got a grilled salmon steak with a side of brussels sprouts, and Judy got a salad with mixed nuts and a raspberry vinaigrette.

After Victor left Judy and Nick fell into a comfortable silence, each looking across the table at the other, watching the light from the candle flicker in each other's eyes. After almost a minute Nick cut the silence first, "Judy I have to ask you something, if I'm wrong then I'm sorry for misreading the situation, but is this a date?"

Judy's eyes widened for a moment before she relaxed and asked with a flirtatious smile, "And what would you do if this was a date?"

Nick knew that the phrase 'if this was a date' is code for 'yes' and that alone caused a surge of excitement through his chest. He paused for a moment before his smirk came back in place and he answered her question, "Well, if this was a date, I'd place my paw palm up on the table, and pray that you place your paw within it so I could hold it." He did just that and without hesitating Judy did place her paw within his and he wrapped his fingers around her paw holding it softly. "Then I'd look you in the eyes and tell you again how beautiful you are." Judy blushed but he continued, "Then I'd remind you that you could do so much better than me Judy. I'm just some hustler who you happened to meet on your first day on the job, you deserve someone so much better than me."

Nick's expression soured towards the end of his speech, he truly believed he wasn't good enough for her and his shame was written all over his face. She squeezed his paw before she replied, "No I couldn't Nick, you're literally the best mammal I know, and even if I could somehow find this mythical mammal who's better than you I still wouldn't want him, because he's not you."

Nick's eyes were slightly misty when he continued, "Well, if this was a date, the next thing I'd do is rub my thumb across your paw softly and thank you profusely for even considering taking me out, let alone actually asking me. Then I'd let you know that I'm yours for as long as you'd have me."

Judy's eyes widened slightly at that proclamation, but her voice was calm when she asked slyly, "My fox?"

Nick chuckled and answered, "Your fox."

Tears were threatening to form in Judy's eyes, "Your bunny?" was her only response.

Nick's voice had a hint of a possessive growl, "My bunny."

Judy had a wicked grin when she continued the conversation, "Of course, that's what you'd do if this was a date."

Nick nodded once, "Right, if it was."

A comfortable silence fell over the table for a few moments before Judy asked, "Now I need to know, what would you do if this wasn't a date?"

"Oh that's simple, I'd casually make my way to the bathroom with a flimsy excuse, and howl at the tragedy of it all. How a good country girl like you would never date a bad city boy like me."

Judy's smile turned flirtatious, "Well, I've recently come around on bad boys. They're actually rather deep, and I find that depth... interesting. So I don't think you'll need to sneak off to the bathroom tonight Slick."

Nick tried to maintain his mask, but she'd pulled it off him too many times for it to really feel natural around her, so he settled for a happy grin spreading down his long muzzle. "That may just be the best news I've ever heard Judy. Thank you for reconsidering." He finished speaking with a wink to his date.

They didn't need to say anything else so the conversation ended, but Nick held on to her paw continuing to rub it with his thumb. He had immediately fallen in love of the feeling of her fur under his pads, relishing in the contact.

After a minute or two of them sitting there holding paws Nick had to excuse himself, "Sorry Carrots, I need to step away for a moment, got to use the bathroom really quickly."

"I thought I'd made it clear that this is actually a date Slick, you don't need to spirit off to the bathroom to vent your feelings."

Nick leveled a flat look at the bunny, "Yes Carrots, I am aware. I really do have to use the restroom though."

"Okay Slick, but hurry it up, our food should be coming in just a minute."

"Well if it comes while I'm gone, you'll wait for me right?"

"Nope."

Nick placed his paws over his heart, "Ouch, you wound me Carrots. Won't even wait for your date to return from the bathroom… That's cold Fluff."

Judy stuck her tongue out again and said, "You're wasting time Slick."

Nick's expression turned deadpan, "Fine, I'll be right back." He stuck out his own tongue before he stepped away from the table. Once in the bathroom he stepped into one of the stalls and closed the door but instead of using the toilet for it's intended purpose he pulled out his phone and started taping away. Once he located the phone number he needed he dialed it and prayed the shop was still open.

* * *

Once Nick was out of sight Judy's mask of confidence fell off completely and she buried her face in her paws. It took all she had not to let out a squeal of glee in the middle of the restaurant: this was going better than she ever could have imagined. Judy had planned to have a good diner with Nick, and maybe towards the end casually mention the fact that it was almost like a date and try and gauge his reaction. It wasn't a great plan, but it was all she could think of without possibly alienating her best friend.

Instead that perfect/insufferable fox just went and blurted out, 'is this a date?'. She thought to herself, 'Guess I wasn't being as subtle as I'd thought. Still, I'm glad he figured it out, it's nice to know that he wants the same thing and to get it all out in the open like this.' She touched the spot on her paw that he'd been stroking softly already missing his gentle caresses. Her fox had been gone less than a minute and she was already counting the seconds until he'd return.

She didn't have to wait all that long as he came striding back a minute or two later and he hopped up in his chair. Judy put her paw on the table expecting him to take it in his again, instead he quirked an eyebrow questioningly making her feel a little foolish. That is until she whispered out a single word, "Please?" Just hearing that simple request melted his heart, turning him to putty in her paws and he reached out and held on to her brushing her fur with his thumb once again. Judy let out a sigh of satisfaction while he resumed his petting of her paw.

They were still holding paws when Victor came back with their meals. He did the standard serving fair of calling out the food as he set the plates down in front of the respective dinners but did not comment on them holding paws. In fact he seemed entirely unfazed by their little PDA, instead focusing on finishing the service by placing two more glasses of wine on the table. Victor asked once everything was set, "Is there anything else I can get for you two for now?"

Judy answered for the two of them, "No Victor, we're all set as long as the dessert order is taken care of."

Victor smiled, "It was placed in the oven before your meals were finished. It should be ready in about 30 minutes. That sound good?"

"That sounds perfect, thank you so much Victor."

The pig nodded once and said, "Great, let me know if there is anything else I can do for you."

Once Victor was gone he was almost instantly forgotten by the two mammals at the table as they were totally focused on each other. Nick picked up his glass with his free paw and asked, "Well, what should we toast to this time Carrots?"

Judy grabbed her glass as well and said, "How about to your acceptance into the ZPD Academy?"

They brought their glasses together with a chime while Nick added, "And to our future partnership." The two of them took a sip of their wine while maintaining eye contact. It actually took them a bit of time to actually remember they came here to eat. Nick stopped stroking her paw and squeezed it once before he finally let go so they could actually eat their meal.

After Judy took a few bites Nick asked her, "So Carrots, how's your salad? The dressing smells pretty good."

She finished chewing her current mouthful, "It's. so. good! You can tell they use some pretty fresh ingredients so the lettuce is really crisp, and the spinach is super flavorful. The carrots could be a bit better, but I might be a bit biased when it comes to carrot quality." Judy didn't think about it but she brought her leg up and started playing footsy with Nick. Nick wanted nothing more than to participate in the playfulness, but he needed to be very cautious of his toe claws.

Nick smiled, "Of course you are, what else does your family grow on their farm? I know carrots and blueberries, but nothing else."

Judy almost looked wistful as she thought about her family farm, "Well it depends on the season, but the key to a successful farm is diversity so we really grow basically everything. Kale, lettuce, spinach, cucumbers, tomatoes, you name it, we probably grow it. Carrots are obviously our main crop, we sell them to a lot of the stores and restaurants in Bunnyburrow, as well as directly through a few farm stands we have. We actually make more money at the farm stands per item, but we obviously move way less product through them."

"I'm guessing that's only scratching the surface?" Nick had never thought about farm processes before and while he didn't find it personally interesting he did love listening to her talk about it. "I think I remember something about rotating crops? Why do you have to turn plants?"

Judy snickered briefly, "Thank serendipity you asked me instead of my dad, he takes farming very seriously. You are right that rotating crops is important in farming, but we don't literally turn them. It means to change out what we grow in each field as to not over tax the soil. Different plants use different levels of nutrients, so if you keep growing the same crops year after year in the same field you'll tax it too much and you'll kill the soil."

"That's actually really interesting Carrots, never knew that farming was so complicated."

"It really is, and we had one of the best farms in the whole county. As much as I never wanted to be a 'carrot farmer'" she stuck her tongue out at her date, "I did learn a lot about farming."

"Never wanted to be a farmer, so you always wanted to be a police officer?"

"Pretty much. When I was 9 I was even in a play for the Carrot Day Festival where I was dressed up as a cop. It was my dream even then to be a police officer in Zootopia."

"I bet you were a pretty cute cop back then."

Judy tried to scowl at Nick, but her ears turning a delightful shade of pink were a dead giveaway, "You're not supposed to call a bunny cute Slick. It's a little demeaning you know."

Nick did actually look apologetic, "I wasn't calling a bunny cute, I was calling you Officer Judy Hopps cute. I'm sorry, I didn't mean to offend you, so if you want me to stop I will."

She paused before she responded, "Well, as long as you keep it to a minimum… and not within earshot of other mammals it's okay I guess. But hey, forget all that, how's your salmon?"

"Oh it's really good, they use a maple glaze that's so tasty. I tried to get the recipe from the chief a few times but he'd never give it to me."

"Could I try a bite?"

Nick was floored by that, "Wait, you eat fish?"

Judy nodded, "A little bit every now and then. A few friends back in high-school dared me to try some once. I kinda liked it."

Nick quirked his head to the side a bit but he pulled off a small piece of his fish, speared it on his fork, and offered it to the bunny across the table. Judy blushed slightly but she leaned forward and ate the morsel of salmon, moaning in delight at the flavor, "Oh wow, that tastes amazing! Okay, we're trading dishes."

Nick jokingly blocked his plate from her with his arms, "Are we now? Sorry Carrots, if you wanted the salmon you should have ordered it yourself, there's no way I'm surviving off that green stuff. Now, if you wanted some of my fish I think I could do that."

Judy nodded vigorously, "Yes please. I think a few pieces in my salad would be fantastic."

Nick smiled graciously and cut up a few pieces of the fish and slid his plate across the table allowing her to add them to her salad. Judy took a bite of her salad with a small piece of the salmon and hummed happily at the combination of flavors, "Nick you need to try this! Both of them together are even better." She offered up a bite of salad with the fish and Nick leaned forward to eat the presented morsel.

Nick was surprised by how good it was, "Wow Carrots, you weren't kidding, that's really good. Though I guess it shouldn't be shocking that the two of us would choose things that compliment the other."

"Oh and why's that Slick?"

"Well that's easy Carrots, before I met you my life felt… empty, incomplete. Now, I have a purpose, a goal, and a partner to chase that goal down with. Your unstoppable attitude has finally pulled me out of my 20 year slump, if that isn't your personality complimenting mine I don't know what is."

Judy didn't trust her voice so she simply nodded and smiled, swallowing once. Wanting some physical contact she placed her paw on the table and Nick didn't hesitate to hold it once again resuming the stroking with his thumb. She finally caught her voice, "Thank you Nick… for everything." Nick smiled at her and resumed eating his dinner, Judy followed suit.

As they finished eating Victor came back around, "So how was everything? I hope you enjoyed your meals."

Nick again sat back and let Judy answer, "Everything's been great so far. I'm so glad I made reservations for here, it really has been fantastic."

The pig nodded once and said, "Perfect, let me clear your plates and the rest of your meal should be out in just a minute. In the meantime is there anything else I can get for you two?"

Nick did speak up at that question, "Actually yes, could you bring us two waters? We need to stay hydrated if we're going to avoid a hangover. And I don't know about Judy, but I could go for a coffee."

Victor winked knowingly, "Excellent choice sir." He looked over at Judy but she simply shook her head once, "Great, I'll be back in just a moment."

With Victor gone Nick was struck with a question, "So, what's on the agenda for after dinner Carrots. I'm enjoying our date so far so I'm hoping it's not over yet."

Judy looked a little sad, "Actually Slick, I didn't think tonight would go so well so I didn't really plan anything else. I'm sorry." She looked away miserably.

Nick leaned forward in his chair reaching across the table with the paw that wasn't holding hers and brushing her cheek softly turned her face back so she was looking at him again. Her eyes tried to shift away but she was soon lost in his emerald pools. It didn't take long for her to start smiling at him and once she was Nick said, "That's okay Carrots, I have a few ideas. How about a movie in the living room followed by a little star gazing?"

"Oh Nick, that sounds amazing! Where will we go to see the stars?"

"Uh uh Carrots, I have to have some secrets. That's the key to a good date, keep them guessing. It's also important for a good hustle." He shot his date a wink. Judy smiled and nuzzled her face into his paw for before turning her head and kissing the center paw pad softly. She thought it was funny how a fox was cupping the same cheek so tenderly that a different fox had slashed so many years ago and how much she wanted it to continue. Nick sat back in his chair stunned sadly causing his hand to pull away from her face.

As Nick was sitting there staring at his paw when he was shaken from his daze by Victor coming back, "And for desert, a Vanilla and Caramel Soufflé with two spoons. Enjoy." Not wanting to intrude on the couple he turned and walked away as they clearly had no eyes for anyone else. He turned back briefly and watched as a small duel of spoons broke out over the soufflé.

Victor made his way back to the front of the restaurant and walked up to the hostess, "Hey Beth, what do you think of our famous guest and her foxy friend?"

The lioness fixed Victor with a blank stare and said, "It's not our place to judge our guests Victor."

The pig pressed on, "I like them, they look good together, they clearly make each other happy."

Beth replied, "Well I wasn't happy with that little press conference that the bunny was a part of, she said just enough to damn all predators. Though I must admit, the fact she didn't just stop there and tracked down the real reason mammals were going savage. That with presenting evidence that it would effect prey just as much as predators also took off a lot of pressure."

"As for the two of them being together? I guess I have to admit they are cute together. I just hope she thinks about her actions a bit more going forward, she has a real chance to crush that foxes heart if she says something like that again."

The pig nodded thinking on her words, "You're right about that I guess Beth. But just look at them, I just don't see that happening." Judy and Nick were currently laughing quietly over a bit of whipped cream that was currently on Nick's nose.

The hostess barked out a laugh, "I guess not. Mufasa above I hope they are strong enough to make it through some of the hate that will get thrown their way. It would be a real shame if something as stupid as hateful mammals broke up such a nice couple."

* * *

As Victor made his way to the front Nick was talking to Judy, "Wow Carrots, one dessert two spoons huh? You were really expecting this date to go well weren't you?"

Judy laughed, "Well if it was going horribly wrong I'd use both spoons to shovel the whole thing in my mouth in one go."

Nick picked up one of the spoons, "Well thank Karma it's going better than that. Now shall we dig in?" They both moved to get a spoonful and their utensils hit just before entering the dessert. Judy shot Nick a look that spoke of horrific things if he didn't let her get the first bite. Nick used the distraction of her looking up to scoop up a bit of the dessert and popped it into his mouth with a grin.

Instead of saying anything Judy simply took her own bite of the soufflé and smiled at her victory. Then the two of them quickly devolved into fighting over each bite quietly to not disturb the other guests. The game continued until a small dollop of whipped cream ended up on Nick's nose, they both paused at the sight until they broke out in giggles. Once they stopped laughing they decided to just take turns getting bites of their shared soufflé.

Once the soufflé was gone and Nick had finished off his coffee Victor came back with the bill, "Here you go. Please review the check, if everything looks right you just have to sign at the bottom." Victor stepped away to give them some time to finish their waters.

Nick was curious, "Wait, you already paid? When on earth did that happen?"

Judy looked quite pleased with herself, "I called Victor over while you were in the bathroom. I knew if I didn't give him my credit card ahead of time you'd fight me for the check." Nick was dumbstruck at how well she'd played him, "What was it you told me when we first met? Oh yeah: 'It's called a hustle sweetheart'."

Nick chuckled softly, "You know what? You can hustle me anytime sweetheart."

Once Judy finished writing out a fairly generous tip the two of them made their way out of the restaurant though Judy made a quick stop at the hostess's podium. She hopped back up on the stand and said, "I wanted to thank you for such a wonderful evening! We really had a great time; diner was fantastic, Victor was so nice, and I love the décor, it's so pretty in here."

Nick chimed in, "It really was a great evening as always. If Ted is still the head chef, and I assume he is by the quality of the meal tonight, could you tell him 'Wilde says hi' for me?"

The lioness said, "I'm so glad you two had a great time tonight. And if you're referring to Theodor then yes he's still around, I'll make sure to tell him. I hope you both have a wonderful rest of your evening."

After they left the lion was curious about what the fox had said and made her way to the kitchen and stepped inside. She walked up to the cooking line and asked the badger in the chefs hat, "If a fox tod named Wilde said 'hi' would that mean anything to you Theodor?"

The elderly badger named Ted finished what he was working on and called over one of the sous chefs to keep an eye on things. He stepped away from the stovetop and asked, "What was that Beth? Did you say a box tom named wide?"

"Ted get out from under those hood fans! You can't hear anything I saw when you're under them. I said a fox tod name Wilde, he says hi."

"WILDE! Holy hell, haven't heard that name in years. Is he still here?"

"Just left actually. He was on what looked like a date with Judy Hopps, the officer who stopped the Night Howler plot."

"Can't believe that bastard left without saying hello in person."

"Who is he to you Ted?"

"Wilde was a good friend of mine. About 15 years ago or so I was working in some terrible place for next to no pay. He came in and apparently he liked my cooking so much he reached out to a few people he knew and lest then a week later the owner of this place reached out to me for an interview. I got the job obviously and the rest is history."

Beth was a little surprised to hear that, "Wow, never knew how you ended up here, I guess I owe that fox a thanks or two. This place wouldn't be nearly as good without you behind the grill."

"I'm a little disappointed that he didn't let me know that he was here. What was so important that he couldn't stop by and see me?"

"He was on a date Ted. I just told you that."

"So you did, so you did. With Judy Hopps eh? Never knew him to be a prey chaser, course I never knew him to chase tail of any kind to be fair. Wonder what the tod has been up to these last few years, I haven't seen him in a while."

Beth looked thoughtful, "Can't say about the last few years, but he definitely seemed happy tonight. Holding paws, making googly eyes at the doe and everything."

"Good for him, he deserves to be happy, and his life hasn't exactly been easy."

Beth nodded, "Yeah, he had the look of someone who's seen some shit."

* * *

As Judy and Nick stepped outside Judy reached for Nick's paw. Nick didn't resist, intertwining his fingers with hers, but he did say, "We're not in a dimly lit place anymore Carrots, and not everyone is going to be as cool Victor in there. Are you sure you're willing to be this public this soon Fluff? There might be some mammals who won't understand a fox on a date with a bunny."

Judy dazed him with her blinding smile, "It's simple Slick, fuck 'em! I happen to like this fox a whole hell of a lot and I don't care who knows it."

Nick remembering the little kiss she had given his paw bent down and planted a kiss on her knuckles tenderly. His eyes were heavy with unshed tears and he said still bent over, "Thank you Judy, for not being ashamed of me."

She brought her free paw up and cupped his cheek, "Never said I wasn't ashamed of you Slick."

Nick paused for a moment before breaking out in a deep belly laugh, "Oh Karma Carrots, you are too damn funny. Come on, lets head back to my place."

They turned to head toward the car, "Oh my mister fox, are you going to take me back to your den?"

Nick's gaze was fierce, "Careful Carrots, I'm not sure you want to poke that bear."

Judy smiled bashfully, "Maybe not yet, but sooner than you might think Slick."

With one last squeeze of her paw he said, "Let's go home Carrots."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So it was a date! And it went well! Yay.
> 
> I've finished chapter 11 so I'll post that on Wednesday, though that's the last completed chapter. The next chapter has a whole lotta fluff if you're into that sort of thing.


	12. Date Night pt. 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Nick and Judy finish their first date back at his warehouse much to their delight.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well, I have started the next chapter, but I only have like 1000 words written so far. So fair warning there might be a week's delay for next chapter as I'm basically out of my backlog.
> 
> I don't own Zootopia, but I do have this fannon.

Judy backed the car through the door with ease, threw it into park and killed the engine. Nick broke the silence first, "Well Carrots, you ready to start that movie?"

She smiled at him, "Absolutely, you have one in mind already?"

Nick hopped out of the car and waited for Judy to come around to his side holding out his hand for her, "Sure do Fluff. You ever see The Princess Bride?"

"WHAT!? That's like one of my all time favorite movies! But now that I think about it, I haven't seen it in _years_. Good choice Slick, as always." Judy reached over and took his paw in hers, the whole drive home (she was already thinking of this warehouse as her home) she had to resist the urge to hold his paw as the seats were just slightly too far apart to do that comfortably and safely. Now that they were side by side and alone then there was no force on earth that would prevent her from holding her fox's paw.

The two of them walked to the door and Judy used her key (which caused a surge of happiness knowing that she had her own key) to unlock the door and popped it open stepping inside. When they got to the living room Nick turned to his date and asked, "Well Carrots, do you want anything before we sit down? I'm out of beer but I think I still have a bottle of wine kicking around."

Judy, never one to miss a thing, questioned him, "Wait, you offered Finn a beer yesterday, did you pour them out or something?"

Nick scratched behind his neck bashfully, "Uh, or something. I actually drank the three I had left before our date, needed to calm myself down."

Judy smirked up to Nick and pulled him towards the couch, "Well, what got under your fur that had you so riled up Slick?"

Nick turned to her, and scooped Judy up into his arms, carrying her princess style. She wrapped her arms around his neck and squealed in delight. Nick leaned in and said, "You got under my fur Officer Hopps. With that little bathtub invitation of yours? I'd have to be dead for that to not quicken my pulse."

Judy leaned in towards Nick's muzzle, "Sorry to bother you like that Slick."

Nick lowered his mouth towards her, "It's okay Judy, I forgive you." Finally their mouths met and they shared a simple kiss that they both had been waiting for all afternoon. Judy moaned into the kiss and tightened her grip around his neck. They broke off the kiss and leaned their foreheads together giggling to each other. Nick whispered, "I wanted to do that ever since I saw you in this dress."

Judy laughed and leaned back in his arms, "Well, I wanted to do that ever since I found you under the bridge."

Nick said, "Hold on Carrots." and sprung up onto the couch still holding his bunny in his arms. Once he sat back he continued, "Well, if I'm being totally honest, I wanted to kiss you on the gondola ride. I know I pulled away, but it was the closest I've felt to a mammal in years. Of course seeing you in that little fur tight number you wore didn't hurt any."

Judy sat up on his lap and squirmed back until she was pressed into his chest happily, Nick took this opportunity to wrap his arms around her holding her gently and laid his tail across her legs. She grabbed the fluffy appendage like a stuffed animal and began to pet it softly. Once she was settled she said, "Well, I'm glad you appreciate my physique. Most bucks think does should be softer and less muscled I guess. Stupid jerks."

She could feel the rumbling in his chest as he replied, "Nothing but a bunch of dumb bunnies if you ask me. I prefer my bunnies nice and sly." He leaned his head to the side and she went the other way allowing them to kiss once again. When they separated Nick licked his lips, "Mmm, I think I like the taste of bunny. Though my ancestors would be disappointed in knowing that I managed to drag a bunny back to my den, hold her in my paws, taste her on my lips, and instead of wishing her harm, wanting nothing more than to keep her safe and warm."

Judy twisted around on his lap in a flash and wrapped him in a hug burying her face in his chest. She was almost sobbing when she said, "Stop being so perfect Nick! Every time you say something like that it feels like my heart is getting crushed. I honestly don't know how you do it." She eased up on her grip and looked up at him.

Nick stroked her ears softly, "It's easy Judy, I've always been a ' _real articulate fella_ '."

Judy rolled her eyes and sighed, "And, you ruined it…"

"I'm sorry Carrots, let me make it up to you." He cupped her cheek and kissed her again. Judy opened her mouth and deepened this kiss, running her tongue across his teeth. Nick parted his jaw letting her into his mouth licking her tongue in return, savoring the taste of her mouth. She was fascinated by his sharp fangs and he couldn't get enough of her flavor. When they finally pulled apart there was a strand of saliva stringing their mouths together for a second.

Nick pecked her lips again quickly and brushed her cheek softly with his paw. She hummed softly and leaned into his touch, "Should we watch that movie slick?"

"Only as long as I get to keep holding you Sweetheart."

"Deal!" She turned back around and got comfortable in his lap. Once she was settled Nick brought his phone out of his pocket and connected it to the TV, starting the movie. Once it was all set Nick tossed his phone aside to avoid being distracted then brought his paws around his bunny once again and for an added measure laid his tail across her lap which she greedily cuddled with once again, running her blunt nails through his fur. Nick let out an appreciative sigh that sounded closer to a growl causing his chest to rumble again. He gave her one last kiss between her ears allowing him to sniff her fur deeply before sitting up to watch the movie with her.

* * *

The movie has everything, fencing, fighting, torture, revenge, giants, monsters, chases, escapes, true love, miracles, no matter what kind of movie you're in the mood for this film has you covered. Even though Nick was only paying half attention to the tv he couldn't remember a time where he enjoyed the movie more. As he started to relax and was on the cusp of falling asleep softly Judy brought one of her ears up and batted him across his muzzle. Nick let out a chuckle that turned into a yawn at her antics.

Before he closed his mouth Judy whapped him again, this time the tip of her ear actually slipping into his mouth just as he was closing it causing him to clamp down lightly on her ear. Judy went to laugh at the occurrence but Nick applied slightly more pressure, "Haha, oops… oh, ah!"

Nick let go immediately assuming he had hurt her, "Oh Judy, I'm so sorry. I was trying to be playful and… and… oh." Nick caught the spike in her scent, specifically her arousal, she clearly did not hate being nibbled on. "Oh, you liked that didn't you Officer Hopps? You want to be the big bad fox's snack?"

Judy turned sideways on his lap and grabbed the fur on his neck, "Shut up and kiss me Slick." She pulled his mouth into hers fiercely, and though her tongue wasn't as sensitive as his she still enjoyed the taste of her fox. She pulled away from the kiss after a long minute and only pausing for a second before she started to undo his tie. While she was distracted with his tie he started to nip around her neck lightly kissing each spot he bit. Judy groaned at his attention and started to undo the buttons on his shirt, once a few were undone she pulled the top of his shirt open and buried her face in his thick chest fur.

Judy started rubbing her face in his fur nuzzling him firmly. Nick leaned back on the couch holding her tightly in his arms stroking her ears, switching between rubbing them with his pads and scratching them with his claws. When she paused snuggling his chest fur to catch her breath Nick tugged lightly on her ears making her let out a gasp as she leaned her head back. With her head tilted back and her mouth slightly agape Nick dove in for another taste of his bunny.

Nick pressed his tongue into her mouth feeling her teeth and overwhelming her with his much larger tongue. She grabbed the fur on his neck again so tightly it was slightly painful not that he was going to complain. He pulled on her ears again making her expose her neck to him and he moved in for a bite, fixing his teeth around her neck with a playful growl similar to what they did in the museum.

When they finally stopped to catch their breath Nick gasped out, "We really should take a break Carrots."

Judy relaxed into his arms but refrained from being more affectionate, "What's the matter, you tired already old man?" She tried to mock him but her breathing wasn't fairing much better.

Nick barked out a laugh at that, "No Fluff, I'm not that old yet. Just… if we don't stop now I won't want to stop. It's a little early for us to go any further in this relationship, I don't want to rush things with you."

Judy kissed his jaw lightly, "You're right Slick, I don't want to rush this either. You're too good to let slip through my paws. So I'm going to make sure I have a firm grip before I pull you in."

"Is that right? And what if I try to break free?" He brushed her cheek softly with a smile on his face to let her know he wasn't being serious.

She nuzzled into his chest again, "I won't let you Slick, it's not your choice anymore I'm afraid."

"Well then, I won't fight it Judy, sounds like it'll be better for all of us that way."

"I knew my fox was smart. Do you want a kiss for being so good."

Nick smiled for a moment thinking before he replied, "Hmmm, sure, but just a quick one. My favorite scene is coming up."

"You really know how to kill a mood Slick." Still she brushed her paw through the fur on his neck before kissing him with tenderness and settling down on his lap once again. Instead of wrapping his arms around her again he held onto her paws stroking them with his thumbs again. She tipped her head back and kissed his throat one more time before turning back to the movie.

* * *

As the credits rolled the two mammals on the couch stretched to loosen up their muscles. Nick scratched her ears while he spoke up, "Okay Carrots, go put on some pajamas and get ready to watch the stars!"

Judy reached behind herself and scratched his ears briefly, "Sounds good Slick. Are we going far? Should I get the keys?"

Nick leaned into her scratches sighing contentedly before he replied, "No and No Fluff. Now stop digging for info gum-paw, you'll get nothing else from me."

Judy purred softly, "I bet I could get it out of you without too much work… but I'll let you keep your secrets for now."

Nick kissed her cheek, "Thank you Carrots, and you're probably right." Judy hopped off the couch and made her way towards the bedroom. Nick called out before she closed the door, "You want some of the leftover pizza Fluff?"

Judy shouted back, "Yes please! Could you warm me up a slice of the BBQ carrot?"

Nick slid off the couch, "Sure, but leftover pizza is better cold. You ruin it when you warm it back up." The only response from the bedroom was the sound of a blown raspberry much to his amusement. He pulled the slice out of the tupperware and looked between the microwave and the toaster oven quickly deciding that the toaster oven would prevent it from becoming soggy. So he set the thermostat and timer and slide the slice into the oven. He checked his phone and saw the temperature had dropped kinda quickly outside so he turned on his electric kettle and grabbed a thermos from his cupboard. Once that was all set up he grabbed a slice of the tofu pizza and ate it cold savoring the flavor.

As he was munching on the pizza he made a dash for the door entering the warehouse proper and heading towards the side door. He unlocked it from the inside and once it was opened spotted the items he ordered while he was in the restaurant's bathroom. Emmitt Otterton really did good work. Nick ordered a bouquet of sunflowers and purple tulips and a glass vase for them to go in. There was a note laying against the vase that Nick picked up first and read before stepping back inside.

'Nicholas,

My wife told me that it was you and that sweet bunny I saw on the news who found me and later discovered what caused me to go savage. I don't think I'll ever be able to thank the two of you enough but please consider these flowers as a gift for the both of you (I never ran your credit card). I wish you both the best of luck and if either of you ever need anything please do not hesitate to ask.

Your friend,

Emmitt O.'

Nick smiled to himself, he had sold pawpsicles to Emmitt a bunch of times throughout the years and though he wouldn't have considered them friends before, they have had a few pleasant conversations in the past. Nick grabbed the vase with the flowers and made his way back to the kitchen smiling to himself the whole way he set it down on the island turning it so the flowers were facing the living room.

By the time the pizza was done Nick heard his bedroom door open up. He put the slice on a small plate and put the plate on the island with a napkin and a glass of water. He decided to meet Judy halfway and walked into the living room. Judy was skipping through the house wearing the blueberry pajamas again and stopped right in front of her fox. Nick placed his fingers under her chin and tilted her head up with his lips pressed to hers soon after. He held the kiss for a few seconds before he pulled back whispering, "You look good enough to eat Carrots. Really do love the pajamas, the way they hug your hips should be criminal." To drive his point home he squeezed her sides softly eliciting a squeal from his bunny.

When they finished the kiss Nick didn't set her down straight away the two of them looking into each other's eyes lovingly. Nick pecked her on the lips once again and said sweetly, "Pizza's getting cold Carrots."

Judy kissed him before letting go and slipping down to the ground, "Thanks Slick. Hurry back."

Nick watched her make her way towards the kitchen until she stopped dead in her tracks when she spotted the flowers. Her paws shot up to her mouth and she let out a gasp of shock. Nick walked up behind her and said, "Surprise!"

Judy was smiling from ear to ear even with tears pouring down her face. Nick's heart dropped thinking that he'd done something wrong, he fell to his knees and bowed his head in shame. Judy pounced on Nick knocking him onto his back with her clinging to his neck and laying across his chest. Nick brought his paws up and gripped her tightly with one paw and the other stroked her ears. Judy buried her face in his chest and let out a sniffle.

When she finally brought her face up to look at him she said, "No one's ever bought me flowers before. When did you get these? They're perfect!"

Nick smiled at her warmly as he replied, "I called up our friend Emmitt and requested a drop off while I was in the bathroom. Had I known you were taking me on a date I would have had them ready beforehand, but surprising you like this is a close second. And I'm glad you like them, I did put in some thought when I ordered them. The sunflowers would have gone with your dress, and the tulips match your eyes."

"Nick, you are… I… how do you always… oh just kiss me." Judy moved up his chest so her head was even with his and kissed Nick deeply, their tongues dancing together. Judy grabbed onto his ears and pulled him deeper into their kiss moaning into her fox's mouth. Nick brought his paws lower and cupped her firm cheeks, pinching her butt causing her to gasp in delight and pull away from his mouth. Once she caught her breath Judy dove back in with a flurry of kisses all over his face causing him to chuckle at her attention.

Judy finally sat up and pet his cheek softly, staring lovingly down at her fox. When her voice finally returned she said, "Thank you Nick, you're too good for me. How do you keep being more and more perfect?"

Nick left one paw on her rear and the other cupped her face, "It was easy once I decided that I want nothing more than to make you happy Judy. Just know that everything I do is for you and for us."

Judy's eyes welled up once more, "For us?"

Nick nodded, "Yes Judy, us. I don't know what tomorrow will bring, but I do know that I want nothing more than to face it with you."

Judy laid back down on his chest and resumed kissing him opening her mouth to taste him again. Nick took a deep breath through his nose realizing just how excited his bunny really was. He knew that he needed to stop her before things got too far, but somehow it just didn't seem that important at the moment. Nick eventually, with a surge of discipline, sat up and the two of them broke off the kissing. They pressed their heads together, taking in each others scents and giggling weakly to each other.

Judy patted his cheek and said, "Alright Slick, go get changed… and, hurry back." She hopped of his chest and slowly made her way over to the kitchen. Nick swore she was adding extra sway to her hips as she walked away.

Nick swallowed weakly before he set off to his bedroom. Judy had kept it clean so far which was nice, all of her clothes were put away in her luggage, which was placed a corner, and the bed was made. He smiled to himself as he grabbed what he'd be waring for his pajamas, a tight fitting tank top and some comfortable gym shorts. He got changed quickly, frowning slightly at the myriad of scars left visible on his arms and considered grabbing a long sleeve, but decided against it knowing Judy didn't mind.

Once he was finished dressing he stepped back out and made his way towards the kitchen. Judy had already finished her slice of pizza and had apparently cleaned up as well, she was smiling at him from her seat at the island holding one of the tulips in her paws. As he kissed her cheek on his way past he was stunned at how absurd it was that he was allowed to kiss her basically whenever he wanted now. Obviously if she didn't want to kiss that was the end of it, but so far she had never been opposed to smooches.

He made his way to the counter and grabbed a container of hot chocolate mix from one of the other cupboards and set about making some in the thermos with the now boiling water in the kettle. Once it was all made up Nick screwed the cap on and picked it up turning back to his bunny with a smile. He stood there for a minute just looking at her in all her glory, the lights were turned down low in the kitchen with the lights above the island being the only ones on. The dim lighting causing her gray fur to look like it was glowing to the tod's night vision. "You're so damn beautiful Judy." he whispered the words, almost as if speaking louder would scare her off.

Judy hopped off her chair and walked right up to him wrapping him up in a hug. He returned the hug with his free hand stroking her back softly. She squeezed him so tightly it almost hurt, but he was so happy he couldn't care less. He kissed the top of her head softly and asked, "You ready to go Carrots?" She let out a slight sniffle and nodded into his chest.

She let go of the tod and took his free hand in hers and said, "Lead the way Slick." Nick walked them to the front door of the living quarters and into the warehouse proper. He walked over to one of the support pillars and on the far side Judy noticed a ladder leading up to a hatch in the roof. She looked at her fox, "Wait, that's where we're going?"

"That's right Carrots, the buildings around here are empty during the night and there aren't many street lamps around here so there's no major light pollution. That and I have a few other things up there that'll really make it special."

She squeezed his paw, "Alright, let's take a look at what you've got going on up there!" She started scrambling up the ladder and she noticed straight away that there were rungs that didn't match. She called down to Nick who was just starting up the ladder himself, "Why are some of these rungs different Nick?"

Nick was scrambling up the ladder with only 3 paws but still making it look easy, "Good eye Carrots, I added those when I bought this place. It was set up for larger mammals so I had to add the rungs so I could actually get up there. Let me tell you it was a total pain in the ass welding these up while on the ladder. I actually had to put on a harness and strap myself onto the rungs that were here so I had free use of my paws."

Judy was impressed once again by the handiness of her fox and said as much, "Wow Slick, you did this all yourself?"

"Sure did Fluff, it wasn't that hard once I got the hang of it. Alright, you think you can work the hatch or do you need a helping paw?"

Judy was able to unlatch it with no problem, but couldn't push the hatch high enough to get it to stay open, "Alright yeah, I need a paw Nick. Should we climb back down and swap?"

Nick climbed up so he was at the same level as Judy hanging on the ladder so he was basically enveloping her from behind. He wanted to tease her while he was there, but it probably wouldn't have been safe so he instead reached up with his thermos and pushed the hatch open. He couldn't get enough leverage to open it completely from where he was so he said, "Alright, go on through Fluff. And could you hold it open for me when you're up there?"

Judy scampered up onto the roof, "Sure thing Slick, and thank you." A moment after she disappeared on the roof the hatch was flipped up and Nick followed her up. The roof was a flat asphalt roof with gravel covering as a lot of industrial roofs in this part of the city were. The stones were still warm from the day's sun but the air was cool.

Once he was on the roof Nick looked over at Judy who was staring straight up at the stars that were out. He walked up next to her and wrapped her in a side hug with his free paw, "Well, what do you think Carrots?"

She was a little apprehensive, "Well, it is amazing that we can see the stars so well; I haven't been able to see them clearly since I've been in Zootopia. But if I'm honest, I don't know how comfortable it'll be laying on the gravel…"

Nick kissed the top of her head sweetly, "Well then, it's a good thing we won't be laying on the gravel now isn't it? Follow me my dear Carrots." He walked over to a large metal box that was sitting about a dozen feet away and opened it up. It was weather proofed so everything inside was still pristine. Nick rummaged around for a few moments before he pulled out a small bundle. He set the bundle down and pulled out a hammock attaching it to two nearby polls with practiced ease. It like the rest of his furniture was way oversized for the fox. The rest of the bundle was a large fluffy blanket that he tossed onto the hammock and straightened it out.

Once it was all setup Nick turned back to Judy with a flourish, "Tadaa! Well, what do you think Judy? Should be comfortable enough for us."

Judy walked up to Nick slowly and gestured for him to bend down, which he did with a smile. When he was at eye level with her she grabbed his muzzle and kissed him fiercely. Nick stood up with her in his arms deepening the kiss groaning softly into her mouth. Nick pulled back from the kiss and tossed Judy bodily into the hammock causing her to erupt into a fit of giggles. Nick climbed in after his bunny and wrapped them both into a funny taco. Judy slid across the hammock until she was cuddled up against him and Nick took the opportunity to wrap his arm around her pulling her into his chest.

He started to stoke her ears and asked again, "What do you think now Carrots?"

She kissed her fox's jaw softly and said, "I think this is amazing, and I think I have the best boyfriend in the world."

Nick was frozen for what felt like a lifetime to the doe before he whispered, "Boyfriend?"

Judy sounded a little apologetic, "Oh I'm so sorry Nick. It's just that tonight has been so perfect, and you've been so wonderful and now we're wrapped up in a blanket together under the stars and I know you wanted to take things slowly…"

Nick placed a finger on her lips silencing her before she could get any more upset. Once she stopped rambling Nick said, "Judy, nothing would make me happier." He pulled her on top of himself and hugged her tightly whispering in her ear, "My girlfriend is Officer Judy Hopps. If you told me a year ago that I'd be dating a bunny cop I'd call you insane. Of course if you told me my girlfriend would be the hottest girl in Zootopia I'd believe that."

She wanted to be mad at him for making a joke out of the situation, but hearing him call her hot defused her anger completely. She kissed him once more before settling down next to him, using his shoulder as a pillow, "You really think I'm hot don't you?"

Nick wrapped his arm around her waist and said, "Sure do Fluff. Your endless optimism combined with your looks create one irresistible package." He ran his fingers across her stomach slowly feeling more content in his life now then ever before. He felt her muscles through her pajamas and was honestly impressed at her definition, he was pretty sure that when he got her shirt off he'll find a set of six pack abs beneath her fur.

The two mammals looked up at the stars in the sky, with nothing but love filling their hearts and each other in their arms. Nick was filled with hope for the first time in a long time as he held his girlfriend in his paws. He considered ravaging her, but he was just too Karma damned content simply holding her like this.

Judy was the first to break the silence, "Do you remember the day we met Nick?"

His eyes didn't leave the stars as he responded, "I hope I never forget Judy. But what were you referencing specifically?"

"How were you able to move like that? In the span of a few blocks you split a herd with a porcupine, almost got me trampled by a rhino, and tricked me into waking in wet concrete." Nick felt a surge of guilt rising with the recollection of how much of an ass he was when they first met, but she continued, "I just don't get how you did that, no one is that observant."

Nick chuckled softly, of course that's what she'd ask about. He took a deep breath and said, "Okay, what I'm about to say will sound 100% crazy, but it's the only way I can describe it, so here it goes: Zootopia isn't just some lifeless plot of land with dead concrete buildings cut apart by rivers of black asphalt. It is a living breathing thing. The mammals that live here make up the cells that travel throughout the body on the veins and arteries of roadways and train tracks. Each cell has it's own energy, it's own feel, and I simply understand that fact."

"The problem is most mammals even the ones who believe they can feel the energy flowing through the streets think to much. So even though they know this energy surrounds them, they can't feel it and they have to make their way through the city using nothing but their eyes and ears. No matter how well they see or hear, I can feel what's happening, and what's coming better."

Judy was fascinated, even if she didn't fully understand, "I don't get it, so do you listen, or watch for this energy and check the way it's flowing?"

Nick pondered how to explain it for a few seconds before inspiration struck, "Okay, have you ever driven down a road you've been down a hundred times before and just completely zoned out? To the point where you have no recollection of actually making the drive?"

"Hum, sure, I've done that."

"Well, that's what it's like. I'm not asleep at the wheel, I just... unfocus my mind. I let the ebb and flow guide me with a little direction from myself to keep on track."

Judy was silent as she pondered her fox's words, "I'm not sure I fully get it, but I don't think it's crazy, in fact I thought your explanation was beautiful. Though it does sound like how I would move through the burrow with my 275 brothers and sisters. I'm glad I asked, and even happier that you felt comfortable enough to answer."

"You're welcome Judy, you can always ask me anything. I'll always answer you if I can." For what felt like both the hundredth time and the first time Nick kissed the top of her head gently, and he closed his eyes. As he drifted of to sleep with his nose filled with Judy's scent he felt at peace with the world.

Judy felt her fox rather quickly drifting off to sleep, the rising and falling of his chest steady and deep. She shifted around for a moment getting her head comfortable in the crook of his shoulder before she placed her paw over the one still resting on her midsection. The thought of waking him and heading back inside crossed her mind for a moment before being dismissed: if they went inside he wouldn't be holding her like this, and that seemed plain unacceptable at this point.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So a some flat roofs are asphalt coated with loose stone. The reason for this is asphalt is broken down by UV rays so they cover it in stones to block the sun. This is useless fact #53 in my list of thousands of useless facts.
> 
> They'll bang within the next few chapters… I have a decent outline for the whole story so don't worry about me loosing the plot.


	13. A Morning Jog

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Judy drags her fox out of the house for a morning jog which gets interrupted by a mammal who can't mind their own business.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well I finished this about 5 minutes before posting it so if there are more errors than usual you know why. I have a better setup now for writing so I hope to get more done soon, I don't think the next chapter will be delayed at all.

Judy woke up surrounded by warmth and comfort like she'd never felt before. The pillow she was cuddled up against was rising and falling slowly in time with it's breathing. Judy nuzzled into Nick's chest smiling to herself at the smell, her nose wasn’t nearly as good as Nick's but even still she could tell their scents had completely commingled. Taking another deep breath through her nose she opened her eyes to look at her boyfriend. The sun hadn't actually risen yet, but the sky was starting to lighten allowing her to mostly make out the dopey looking grin he had on his muzzle. 

In the early morning light, on top of the warehouse, cuddled up with her fox, in a hammock, wrapped up in a blanket Judy whispered, "I think I love you Nick." and she planted a kiss on his chin. She had left her phone in the bedroom so she wasn’t sure what time it actually was, but according to her bladder it was time to get up. She wiggled out of his arms quietly and slipped off the hammock with a near silent pad of her paws. 

The hatch opened with a slight squeak and Judy made her way down the ladder to the warehouse. She opened the door to the living area and walked over to the bathroom. Once she had finished with the facilities and washing her paws she pondered her next move as she grabbed her phone from across the hall. They had plenty of food now so she could cook up her fox a great breakfast, or she could make her way back to the roof and into his arms again. It seemed like an easy decision when she thought about it.

As she got back up onto the roof she spotted her fox still laying in the hammock asleep. That’s when she remembered he had told her the doctors didn’t want him laying down when he slept. She walked over quickly and shook Nick urgently, "Nick! Nick wake up, you've been laying down way too long!"

Nick cracked an eyelid at her and asked groggily, "What's got you so worried Carrots?"

She was actively trying (and failing) to push him into a sitting position, "You said the doctors told you that they wanted you to sleep sitting up. You've been laying down for hours now! That can't be good. Should we call your doctor, no, they probably won't be in yet. I'll call an ambulance."

Nick was still waking up trying to figure out what she was talking about. Finally he remembered telling her that exactly when he was convincing her to stay with him. He placed his paw over her phone as she was getting ready to dial. 

Her head snapped up and said, "Move your paw Nick, now is not the time for some macho tough guy routine."

Nick smiled and said, "It's not some act Carrots, I'm fine. Now don't be mad, but the doctor never told me anything like that…"

Judy didn’t say anything for a moment before she said softly, "You lied to me?"

Nick nodded, "Yes, but only because I didn’t want you to have an excuse to not stay here. Although I guess I didn’t really need to seeing that the ZPD was picking up the tab for your little hotel room…"

Judy looked shocked to hear that he'd figured that little detail out though it quickly faded, "Can't believe you figured that out. How'd you manage that?"

He actually sounded proud, "Easy, I convinced the host I was going to pay for your room. When he became suspicious because the ZPD had already paid for it I _might_ have implied that I was your bodyguard."

"Well I guess I can't be mad if the reason you lied was for my benefit… but I propose a new rule: now that we're dating, no more lying to each other, even if we think it's for the others benefit."

Nick smiled warmly at his bunny, "I can agree to that, with one exception: surprise dates and gifts."

"Surprise dates and gifts?"

"Sure Carrots. What if I have a dinner planned and I want to surprise you, but you ask if I have any plans for that night? I might have to lie to keep it under wraps."

Judy pondered for a moment, "Well, I guess that'd be okay. But let's keep it to a minimum please." 

Nick cupped her cheek with his paw and said, "Of course Judy. Just know that'd I'd never do anything to hurt you, _never._ "

She nodded and nuzzled into his paw, "I know Nick." They were silent for a minute Judy relishing in his touch and Nick laying there contentedly until she broke the silence, "Alright well, it's still time for you to get up. The sun is about to come up and hurt your foxy eyes and I don't want to deal with a blind boyfriend first thing in the morning."

Nick groaned and said, "No! Let's just crawl under the blankets together and protect our eyes." He sounded a little whiny but the grin on his muzzle said it was just a joke.

Judy smiled and said, "Okay fine, what do I have to do to get you out of the hammock then?"

Nick brushed a paw through her ears and said, "Well, how about a kiss? I'll get up for a kiss from a beautiful bunny." 

Judy smiled and moved in for the requested kiss, it started simple and chaste, but Nick grabbed the back of her head softly and pulled her in to deepen the kiss. Judy followed suit and moved closer to her fox almost forgetting why she came up here in the first place, eventually pulling away from his mouth much shorter of breath. 

Nick pinched her tail with a grin and said, "Well deal's a deal Fluff. I'm definitely up now." Nick swung his legs off the side of the hammock and stood up groaning softly as he stretched, his back cracking loudly. Judy was at perfect level to see the morning wood that was currently tenting his shorts causing her to blush furiously. She knew enough about males to know that it was a perfectly natural thing to happen in the mornings, but she secretly hoped she had something to do with it too. 

As he finished stretching Nick looked down at his girlfriend with a dopey grin plastered on his face, though he noticed she was staring at his waist blushing furiously. He looked down and spotted his member currently standing at attention, and he turned with a yelp, "Ah, sorry about that. I have no control over it at the best of times." He tucked it up into his waistband, pulled the tank-top down lower and turned back, "Ahem, there we go. Again, I'm so sorry about that Judy." 

She was still blushing and she was having a hard time keeping eye contact when she looked up and replied, "It's alright Nick, I grew up with enough brothers to know that you can't do anything with it. Besides, I didn’t say that I minded did I?"

Nick was stunned silent and Judy stepped away humming to herself. When she got to the ladder she said, "Well Slick, can I interest you in some breakfast?"

Nick shook his head and started following after her, "Sounds great Fluff. You mind if I help out?" 

Judy smiled back at him, "Mind? That sounds perfect to me Slick, thanks." She scrambled down the ladder and Nick followed closely behind her. He made a mental note to clean up the roof later, but it could wait, right now he just wanted to spend time with his bunny. They made their way back inside the house and Judy made her way into the kitchen while Nick excused himself to the bathroom. 

Once he was finished emptying his bladder and washing his paws he made his way back to the kitchen pausing for a moment spotting Judy on her step ladder rooting through the freezer. He snuck up behind her noticing that while he was till a few steps away her ears swung around, she obviously noticed his approach, but didn’t turn to face him. He swept her off her feet and looking into her eyes a moment seeing the love he felt for his bunny reflected in them. It almost scared him from the intensity, but he ignored the feeling and kissed her tenderly. 

As he finished the kiss he said softly, "Well, what are you thinking for breakfast Carrots? Leftover pizza?"

She laughed at her fox's idea of breakfast, "No! We just bought all this healthy food and you want pizza? Besides we're going for a jog, or did you forget?" Nick set her back down with a grimace that said he hoped _she'd_ forgotten, "No, we're going to be having frozen blueberry shakes, now be a good fox and grab the protein powder from the cabinet would you?"

Nick smiled at her and set about helping with breakfast. After he got the powdered protein down he set up the blender for her as well as grabbing a few other ingredients he put in his own shakes. Judy tossed all the ingredients into the blender as well as some ice and after pulsing a few times let it run until everything was smooth and incorporated. Nick grabbed two glasses and Judy doled out a portion for each of them, then they made their way over to the island and sat down next to each other. 

Sitting there silently enjoying their shakes the two kept glancing at each other. Despite how affectionate they've been in the last 12 hours this was still very new for both of them. Nick looked away shyly while he brought his tail up and brushed hers softly. Steeling himself and placing a confident grin he didn’t truly feel he looked over at his bunny who was blushing happily. 

Nick was the first to break the silence, "Aw, screw it." and before Judy knew what was going on he picked her up from her seat and placed her on his lap. Once she was settled he grabbed his glass like nothing had happened and continued to drink slowly, enjoying the flavor. 

Judy took a few seconds to respond to her new position on his lap, "Not that I'm complaining Slick, but why am I on you lap?"

Nick pet her ears softly, "Well if I was going to lie to you I'd tell you it was so you could use the table easier. You're just a _little_ too short to use it easily."

Judy grabbed his tail with her free paw and scratched it with her blunted claws and asked, "And if you were going to tell me the truth?"

"I'd tell you that I simply crave your touch, that being next to you without feeling you is like torture to me."

Judy set her glass down and turned sideways on his lap and looked up at her fox who looked a little afraid at having opened up to her once again. She placed a paw on his muzzle and forced him to look at her in the eyes and said, "Oh my Serendipity, you put it into words." 

Nick felt the burning passion in his chest surge again as he grabbed her and kissed his bunny fiercely. His tongue made it's way into her mouth eliciting a soft groan from her as she ran her own tongue across his teeth. After a minute of what looked like the two of them trying their best to eat the others face off they broke the kiss off panting slightly. Nick's paws had worked their way to his girlfriend's waist which he was holding appreciatively while Judy was clinging to his neck for what felt like dear life. 

When her brain finally restarted Judy felt something poking her from her fox's waist. Grinning wickedly she said in a husky voice, "Well, I see someone enjoyed their breakfast." She shifted on his lap, pressing back into his bulge, to drive her point home causing Nick to let out a slight moan.

His grip tightened on her hips holding her still before he managed to say, "This is an entirely different form of torture Judy. And besides; of course I enjoyed breakfast, blueberry flavored bunny, what’s not to like?"

Judy tried to hold back her laugh, she really did, but it escaped just the same and the two quickly broke down into a fit of giggles at the bad joke, thankfully cutting the tension. When they finally regained their composure Nick passed her glass back to her and they both finished their breakfast quietly. 

Judy hopped of Nick's lap and moved to start cleaning up but he stopped her, "Thanks Carrots, but why don't you get changed and we can head out? I'll take care of the cleanup."

She nodded once and jumped up giving him a kiss on the cheek, "Thanks Slick, you’re the best." With that Judy made her way off to get dressed up in her exercise gear while Nick set about rinsing the cups and then putting them in the dishwasher. Once everything from breakfast was sorted Judy made her way back to the kitchen. She was wearing a short sleeved synthetic shirt that was fur tight highlighting her modest chest nicely with some incredibly short gym shorts. Nick was gobsmacked at how beautiful she was, he always thought she was pretty, and ever sense she found him under the bridge he knew she was beautiful, but here, now, she was the sexiest mammal alive. 

Nick steeped towards her and moved to pick her up wordlessly, but she smacked his paws away, "Uh uh uh Slick. Go get changed, we got a jog to take."

Nick pouted but walked away grumbling, "Stupid sexy Carrots, getting dressed up like that and won't even let me touch her. I just wanted to kiss her senseless and run my claws through her fur…"

Judy heard him, her ears weren't just for show, and even though his words caused her to blush fiercely she didn’t waver: they were going to jog and there would be no distractions. A minute later Nick came walking back into the kitchen, he was wearing the same shorts and was carrying a shirt but he wasn’t wearing it yet. 'So much for no distractions' Judy thought. 'Why do I think he's so hot? His lean muscle, pointy teeth, and sharp claws should be nothing but terrifying, and yet I want nothing more than to feel them, be felt _by_ them.'

Nick smirked at his bunny as he slipped on the shirt painfully slowly making sure to flex his chest a few times for good measure. When he finished pulling his head through he saw Judy doing her best to not drool, and mostly succeeding. Nick smiled and leaned down a bit so he was eye level with Judy, "What do you say Judy, just one kiss before we head out?"

Judy was determined to stay strong and not kiss her handsome tod, and she was already tasting his teeth. She wrapped her paws around his neck and pulled him in deeper while he hugged her tiny body to his. Nick stood up and set her down on the island running his claws up and down her back softly. After a minute that felt both like a life time and a single instant Judy placed a paw on his chest and pushed ever so softly. Nick eased up and pulled away from the kiss panting softly. Judy brushed his face gently looking at him with a dazed expression on her face.

Once she was able to get her composure and breath back Judy said, "Okay, get your tail outside mister! No more distractions." 

Judy walked out first while Nick thought, 'Sure, no more distractions she says while her hips swing like that.'

As they got outside Judy stopped and began to move her limbs about, "You stretch too Slick. Don't want to pull something on our first jog do you?"

Nick was too busy watching what those shorts did to her shapely rear while she was touching her toes to really pay attention, "Right, of course I do… uh, I mean, don't." and he started to limber up as well.

***

Judy was the one setting the pace through the streets and Nick was following closely behind. He was fairing better than he was fearing before they'd set out, the two weeks laid out in a coma obviously weren't as bad as he'd thought, though he guessed the dose of Night Howler had something to do with that. Of course he still wasn't at 100%, his breathing was a little ragged, and he'd stumbled a time or two as they'd gotten going, but he found his rhythm and was taking deep slow breaths and it seemed to be working for him. Although he was pretty sure even if he was dying he'd follow that bunny behind anywhere, the way it filled out those shorts was unbelievable. 

As he was letting the bobbing of her tail distract him again Judy stopped short and Nick almost crashed right into her. When he side stepped her and stopped as well he shot her a questioning look between gasps for breath. Judy was breathing heavier as well but she was able to speak sounding only a little breathless, "I think this is a good halfway point, we'll walk for a mile or two to cooldown before we jog the rest of the way back. Sound good?"

Nick nodded and gave a thumbs up but didn’t speak and the two turned back home and began walking. They were silent for a minute before Judy spoke up, "I'm honestly impressed Nick. I wasn’t sure you’d be able to keep up on your first run out, but you did great! I'm not a slow mammal and I didn't take it all that easy on you either." She reached over and slapped him on his lower back encouragingly, "You should be proud Slick."

Nick smiled at her, "Thanks Carrots. It felt good to get out and stretch my legs again. I can't wait to get back into tip top shape!" 

The silence resumed comfortably as the two continued their walk. Just as Nick was finally able to get his breathing completely under control Judy shot off like a bullet causing Nick to let out a tired groan before he followed suit chasing after his bunny. 

As they were getting closer to home they came upon another mammal walking the other way. This wasn’t odd, there were mammals all over in Zootopia, even first thing on a Saturday morning. What was odd was that this moose took one look at the pair and narrowed his eyes a bit and once Judy was past he stepped in front of Nick stopping him in his tracks. 

The moose turned to speak over his shoulder but never took his eyes of Nick, "Is this pelt bothering you miss?"

Judy was furious and was about to let him have it when she noticed Nick shaking his head sadly. That wasn’t going to stop her from giving the moose a piece of her mind but before she spoke up the moose said, "Stop trying to intimate the poor bunny you _filth._ Come on miss, we'll get away from here and call the ZPD. Maybe tell them there's a savage fox about." 

Judy flew off the handle at that, "You'll _WHAT?_ Listen here you speciesist asshole: first of all it's officer, not miss. Secondly, not that it's any of your business but no, my boyfriend is not bothering me, we were enjoying an early morning run till you ruined it. And finally, do you know what a false police report can land you?" The moose's jaw was hanging open at this point but Judy didn’t let up, "Rhetorical question _sir_ , it'll land you up to 5 years behind bars, or a hefty fine. Not to mention the hate speech, so maybe the DA will upgrade it to a hate crime." During the justified rant Judy made her way around the moose to stand next to Nick.

Judy had already pulled out her phone and was about to call the local police precinct but Nick put his paw on her shoulder, "Come on Carrots, this dick has wasted enough of our time already, let's just enjoy the rest of our day together."

Judy locked eyes with him and he knew in an instant she wasn’t going to let this slide, "Sorry Nick, I can't let this one go. No one talks to another mammal that way, especially not to you." Nick was floored, he knew Judy cared for him, the evidence for that was overwhelming. But to see her rush to his defense like this, even when he wouldn’t defend himself, it was almost more than he could take. Nick nodded once and stepped back placing himself between the moose and Judy. 

The bull finally was able to respond and sounded afraid and apologetic, "Listen, this is all just a misunderstanding, I thought I was doing the right thing! Please can't we all just go our separate ways and forget this ever happened?"

Judy fixed him with a baleful glare, "I'm sorry sir I won't let this drop, and that's the end of it."

Nick spotted the dangerous flash in the moose's eyes while Judy was distracted on the phone and he tensed up anticipating the bull to do something stupid. He didn’t have to wait long before the moose shouted out, "You fucking bitch!" and tried to trample Nick to get to Judy, but Nick was prepared. Before the bull took his second step Nick jumped up and grabbed the bull by the horns (antlers) and placing his feet on the bull's shoulder wrenched as hard as he could throwing the moose off balance and dragging him to the ground. Nick jumped clear before the moose slammed into the ground but darted onto the bull's back in a flash and grabbed his arm bending it back and locking him to the sidewalk.

Nick glanced up and spotted Judy standing right beside him, she had apparently also though of using an arm bar but was just a second slower. Nick's face was uncharacteristically stoic and Judy's was all business, unsurprised by the unfolding events, and she was even still holding her phone. Once she was sure Nick was okay she finished the call, "Hello dispatch? This is Officer Hopps, badge number 2788 at the corner of 3rd and Pine. Send a patrol car ASAP for pickup of a moose suspect."

There was a moments pause before dispatch responded, "Understood Hopps, nearest car is just a few minutes away, ETA 2 minutes."

The moose was still struggling but couldn’t get any purchase to regain it's feet as every time it almost stood Nick would apply more pressure driving him back to the ground. Nick finally spoke up, "Listen buddy, if you don't stop struggling you're going to hurt yourself."

The bull was practically foaming at the mouth as he shouted out, "Fuck you pelt! I'm going to kick your ass then your little slut is next."

Nick had to hold himself back from throwing the enraged moose's shoulder clear out of it's socket but a few deep breaths kept him calm enough to remember the bull presented no real threat currently. Thankfully he didn’t have to keep his cool for too long as a squad car pulled up along side them and a wolf and tiger stepped out.

Judy waved to them, "Wolfard, Fangmeyer, it's good to see you again. If you could please place some cuffs on the moose here and allow my friend to get off of him?" Her tone was strictly professional with none of the joy Nick had grown accustomed to.

The wolf stepped in and slapped some cuffs on the Moose allowing Nick to let go and step onto the sidewalk. The tiger was eyeing Nick a little before she sniffed the air a little and realization dawned on her, "You're the one who helped Judy with the cases aren't you? I recognize your scent from the museum." 

Nick smiled softly but didn’t reply so Judy did instead, "Yes he is! This is my soon to be partner Nick Wilde. Nick this is Officer Fangmeyer and Officer Wolfard. During my initial stint at the ZPD after the missing mammal case they were the ones who were my training officers."

Wolfard placed the moose into the back of the patrol car and said, "Nice to meet you Nick. Now Hopps, do you want to tell us what you called us out here for?"

Judy gave a brief rundown of the events leading up to the phone call only leaving out her and Nick's relationship as it had no real baring on the case. The two officers were both jotting everything down and when Judy finished Fangmeyer spoke up, "Well I'm sorry you had to go though with that Mr. Wilde, but honestly Hopps, without a recording or another witness I don't know if we can make the hate speech stick." 

Judy opened her mouth to object but Fangmeyer overrode her, "Now, we can probably get Attempted Assault of an Officer instead." She gestured to a traffic cam not too far away, "I know the DA's office well enough that without a rock solid case they won't go for it."

Judy pointed between herself and Nick, "What about us? Two corroborating witnesses isn't enough now?"

Wolfard answered this one, "Usually it'd be enough to get it in court sure, but as you two are clearly… involved if your commingled scent is anything to go on, any defense attorney worth his weight in salt would tear your credibility to shreds. Now we will present all of our reports in, including the hate speech and conspiracy to falsify police records, into the DA's office and see what they say? Who knows, maybe they'll want to make an example of this guy, try and stop further false savage claims before they happen."

Nick spoke up for the first time since the bull attacked, "Well if nothing else you can always nail him for use of a controlled substance, maybe even distribution."

The two responding officers shot him a questioning look and he continued, "He reeked of coffee, to the level of he'd have to be working in an industrial coffee roasters, or maybe a coffee warehouse to get it to stink that bad." When neither of the officers gave an indication they understood Nick continued, "Well there's neither of those things anywhere near here, so why did he smell so strongly? Simple: he was shipping some sort of substance, I think cocaine, but I've never been trained as a drug sniffer so I'm not positive, and he uses the coffee to mask the scent. I suggest you put him in a room with someone who is. The only reason I smelt anything out of place is because I was right next to his nose for a moment and caught a whiff of something, but again, I'm not positive what." Nick said it all with none of his signature smugness, he was simply stating a fact.

Wolfard opened the rear door for a moment before closing it and turning back, "You're right! Luna above, I don’t know how I missed that. We'll need to get some blood work done to see exactly what it is, but with the drug charges as well I'm sure the DA will want to throw whatever they can at this guy, really put the fear of god into him." He stepped forward and presented his paw to Nick, "Thank you Nick, and I look forward to working with you real soon."

After Nick shook his hand silently and gave him a brief nod Fangmeyer stepped forward and offered her own paw which Nick took, "Thank you, for helping Hopps when no one else would Nick. And thank you for ending Bellwether's plans, I don't even want to imagine what she was hoping to accomplish."

"Of course, I… I couldn’t have done anything else. It was a pleasure to meet you both, I hope next time is under better circumstances." 

Judy piped in, he usual cheer fully restored, "I'll see you both Monday right? I can't wait to be back on patrol!"

The two officers climbed in their car and Wolfard replied through his open window from the passengers seat, "You know you will Hopps. We'll see you then." And with that the two of them drove off. 

Once the squad car was out of sight Judy turned to her boyfriend concern on her voice, "You want to tell me what's wrong Slick?"

Nick chuckled sadly, "Of course you'd see I'm upset in an instant. It's nothing really" Judy looked ready to argue but he continued, "Alright, alright. It's just, you wouldn’t take his shit even when all I wanted to do was let him walk all over me. And all it got you was abuse from some stranger. Wolfard and Fangmeyer were obviously not fazed by us being together, but there will be a lot of mammals who will _hate_ us for it, hate you for being with a fox. I don't care about them hating me, mammals have hated me for just being alive, but it hurts to think anyone could hate you." Nick brought his paw to her cheek and brushed it softly with the back of his fingers.

Judy grabbed his paw and held it against her cheek, "You idiot… I feel the same way about you, don't you get that? Mammals have always called me crazy for wanting to be a cop, and some even hated me for trying to be more than just some bunny, this… this animosity is nothing new, but being with you is way more than worth it. The whole world could hate us Nick, but as long as I had you? I wouldn’t have a single worry."

Nick wanted to confess his undying love for her, it felt like the right time. He knew logically that it was too soon in their relationship, they had only been on one date for Karma's sake. But that didn’t change how he felt of course. After a brief internal struggle Nick bent down and kissed her sweetly on her lips and said, "Thank you Judy. You're right of course, as long as I have you, the rest doesn’t matter."

Judy took his paw in her own, intertwining their fingers, "Let's go home Slick."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Next chapter we'll see what's under another one of those tarps by the garage doors.
> 
> Thank you for the Reviews, and the Subscriptions, I love them all! <3


	14. Needed Conversation

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Nick and Judy return from their Jog. Nick does some work before Judy calls her parents.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So for the time being I'll be aiming for an every other week release. If I get ahead in the story maybe I'll go back to a weekly schedule, but we'll have to see. There is some sexual content in this chapter but not a ton, I just thought I'd give you all a heads up.

The two mammals returned to their home paw in paw. Though they haven't discussed her officially moving in neither wanted her to move out. As they stepped out of the heat and into the cool interior they both let out a sigh of relief. Nick let go of Judy's paw and said, "Well, it was certainly an eventful jog, but I still had a good time." His tone was light and joking, but she could tell he was still a bit upset, "Why don't you get cleaned up. As much as I enjoy smelling myself on your fur I think you could use a shower."

Judy stuck her tongue out, "Meanie. Although I think you might be right Slick. You sure you don't want to take the first one though?"

Nick smiled and said, "No thanks Sweetheart, I actually have something I want to take care of before I get cleaned up."

Judy stopped at hearing that, "Care to tell me what it is?"

Nick booped her lightly on the nose, "Nope it's a surprise."

"Do you need to go somewhere?"

"Nope. I'll be right here in the garage the whole time."

"Hmmm, I guess that's fine then. You mind if I actually take a bath instead? I'm quickly becoming addicted to the luxury…"

He kissed the cute little bunny, "Of course, take your time. I'll be out here whenever you're done."

Judy nodded and strode off towards the living area while Nick smiled after her. Once she closed the door behind her Nick made his way towards the garage area looking at one of the tarp covered shapes. He pulled the tarp off slowly reveling a cruiser motorcycle. Unlike the car it was still very clean, implying recent use. Nick studied it for a moment before he wandered off towards the workbench. He pushed a large tool box on wheels over to the bike and grabbed a portable hydraulic lift. Nick studied the bike for a minute making a mental list of work that it needed, before he did anything else he took out his phone and sent a text to a friend of his. As he set about lifting the bike and checking the toolbox had everything he needed his phone chimed once. Nick smiled at the response and started his work.

* * *

Judy was lounging in her bubble bath idly scrubbing her fur washing, the rest of the sweat and dirt off that remained from her quick shower. She closed her eyes and thought of her boyfriend, 'Why was Nick so willing to let that moose walk all over him? It's a shame he can't seem to see the same fox I can. Oh well, I guess it's up to me as his girlfriend to make him see.' She smiled to herself and lowered herself even deeper into the water. As she kept thinking about her foxy boyfriend her paws started to drift ever lower along her body. Judy was feeling hot and not just from the bath water. Remembering how her fox brought down a moose more than 4 times his size in the blink of an eye she let out a small gasp as her paw grazed her lips.

She paused for a moment considering her actions, but couldn't hold herself back any longer. Nick was out in the warehouse and as long as she didn't start screaming she should be fine. So starting off slow and gentle she began to rub her outer lips groaning softly. After picking up some speed she dug two of her fingers into her pussy forcefully. She had to bite down on her free paw to keep her moans from escaping. As she laid there in the warm water, fingers stroking her insides her mind was filled with nothing but thoughts of Nick. Him fighting to protect her, standing up for her, him standing in the doorway shirtless, how he smelled when he held her, how his teeth felt on her tongue. It quickly became too much for her and her pussy clamped down on her fingers while her other paw rubbed her clit.

As she slowed her self ministrations and her breathing began to calm down she relaxed into the water. Taking a deep breath she stood up and opened the drain and turned on the shower to rinse herself off one more time. Once she was finished getting clean she turned off the shower and stepped out starting to towel herself off before stepping into the fur dryer to finish up.

After she was dressed Judy made her way back out into the warehouse. She followed the sound of music and clanging metal to see her fox working on a motorcycle. He was humming along to the song which she recognized as 'I Fought the Law' by The Clash. His back was to her as he was busy pulling something off the bike. She walked right up behind him and went to give him a kiss while turning his head but stopped short when she noticed the cigarette hanging out of his mouth.

Nick gave her a smile obviously happy to see her again as she stepped back and said, "Huh, guess I didn't realize you smoked. I never smelled it before so I never would have known I suppose."

Nick took a drag off the cigarette and exhaled slowly, "Yeah I don't usually. It's just when I'm working with my hands like this I always crave one. No idea why really."

Judy pulled the cigarette out of his mouth and kissed him as she had planned to do before. She made a face of disgust and said, "Ugh, you'll have to brush your teeth after you smoke before you kiss me slick, can't stand the taste."

Nick took the cigarette back from Judy he studied it for a moment thoughtfully before crushing it in his paw, "Well then, I'm never smoking again."

Judy was taken aback for a moment before she said, "Just like that?"

Nick said, "It's not a hard choice to make Carrots. I'd give up solid foods if it meant I could keep kissing you."

Judy leapt up kissed him furiously, overcome with emotion. It lasted only a few seconds before she pulled away, "Blegh, nope never mind. I do appreciate the gesture, but you need a mint first."

Nick laughed at her antics briefly before she said, "Well, what are you working on here Slick?"

"I am fixing up my bike. I've had it for a long time and I don't think I've ever had more to do at one time…"

Judy looked around at the parts strewn about the floor, the exhaust system was off, as was the rear seat and rear pegs, "Alright, I'm not familiar with this bike, what do the rear seating and the exhaust have to do with each other?"

Nick smiled and said, "Usually nothing, but when your girlfriend is a rabbit and you own a fox sized motorcycle you need to make a few modifications if you want her to sit comfortably. So I'm swapping out the pipes for some quieter ones so they won't hurt your adorable ears, and I need to adjust the seating so you'll be able to sit more comfortably, if you want to ride that is… I guess I never asked if you'd want to."

Judy was beyond excited, "Are you kidding? We owned a few dirt bikes when I was a kit and I used to tear it up whenever I could. I never owned a bike like this though I always wanted to…" She ran her paw across the machine, "What is it anyway?"

Nick stood up and said proudly, "It's a Yamapaw V-Star Classic. This little machine and I have been together for a while now… through think and thin." He sounded very fond of the bike, wistful even, as he spoke of it. "Whenever I have a free day, which isn't often mind you, I take it for a spin. Sometimes just around the city, and sometimes I manage to make it out to the countryside and just ride around for hours with no real destination."

Judy stepped beside her fox and wrapped him in a side hug, "That sounds amazing Nick. Of course just spending time with you sounds amazing. Now, is there anything I can do to help you get this thing ready?"

Nick placed a paw on her head running his claws through her fur, "Actually yeah Carrots, I need you to hop on the bike behind me to figure out how much I need to adjust the rear seat and the paw pegs."

"Easy enough Slick." The two of them set about figuring the needed adjustments. Nick was jotting down measurements and sketches on a notepad figuring out exactly what he needed to do of for it to be Judy ready.

Once they were finished Nick smiled at Judy who was sitting on the bike grinning before he said, "Well, now that that's all taken care of I think I need my own shower, and to brush my teeth I suppose."

Judy patted his cheek sweetly, "If you'd be so kind yes. What did you want to do for lunch once you're done?"

Nick picked her off the bike easily, set her down and began to pick up a few of the tools, "Your call Fluff. We could make lunch here, or go out somewhere. I'm fine either way, as long as I get to have lunch with you."

Judy grabbed his paw and they started off towards the living area, "Let's just have lunch here Slick. But maybe we could go out for dinner?"

Nick squeezed her paw and said, "You got it Carrots. You thinking somewhere classy or casual?"

"Casual definitely, not a dive mind you, but I just want to have a meal with my fox tonight."

"I know just the place Judy." he said kissing her sweetly on the top of her head.

After his brief shower Nick and Judy sat down to a quiet lunch, a salad Judy had prepared while he was cleaning up. After they put everything away they sat down on the couch together Judy taking her new favorite spot on his lap running her fingers through the fur on his tail. They didn't say anything for a long time until Nick eventually cut the silence, "Tell me about your family Carrots."

Judy looked up at her fox, "Where did that come from?"

Nick was stroking her ears and continued as he replied, "Well if we're going to be together," Karama he loved how that sounded, "I figured I should know more about you and your family. I know they're carrot farmers, and other crops, but I don't know their hobbies, their favorite foods, things like that."

Judy nodded and said, "Sure thing Slick. Oh, sweet cheese and crackers I forgot to call them back from Friday! Ugh, I'll have to call them later. Right, well, my parents: they're very nice but being born and raised in a small town… well their world view is a little limited. I mean, they did have a tote bag of Fox-Away products for me when I was shipping off to the big bad city. That said, I think they are starting to open up a little, they are in business with Gideon now, which blew my mind. I didn't expect my former bully to be a pastry chef when I went back to Bunnyburrow after the press conference."

Nick felt his blood boil at hearing her parents were working with someone who used to bully his bunny but was able to keep his voice even as he asked, "Is this the same bully who clawed your face Judy?"

Judy replied, "Uh, yes and no. Yes Gideon clawed me when we were kits, but he's not the same mammal from back then. He came to the farm stand when I was working one day and when he saw it was me, the first thing he did was apologize for the way he acted back when we were kits. I think he's been seeing a therapist because he was talking about self doubt and how he directed it to rage and aggression."

Nick's voice was ice cold, "It doesn't change what he did to you, to my bunny."

Judy shifted around on his lap so she could look him in the eyes and placed a paw on his cheek sadly, "I know Slick. But if we couldn't forgive those who hurt us in the past would we be together?"

That took all the rage out of Nick's sails, "Damnit, you're right. If… if you forgive him that's good enough for me. Just don't expect me to wrap him up in a hug if and when we meet."

Judy smiled at him, "Thanks Slick, that's good enough for me." She kissed his muzzle softly then turned back around to sit in his lap once again. "When would you two even meet anyway?"

Nick was feeling much calmer, "I figured at some point I'd like to see the town my girlfriend grew up in, meet her parents, see the sights. Might make for a good time."

"You want to see Bunnyburrow?"

Nick's chest rumbled as he hummed for a moment, "Of course I do, even though you live in Zootopia Bunnyburrow will always be your hometown right? It will always be important to you." Judy melted into his lap as he wrapped her up in a hug.

"You're right Nick, I do love my hometown, but I wouldn't change any of this for anything."

Nick leaned over until he was laying down using the armrest as a pillow dragging Judy down with him. She giggled as he settled in leaving her draped across his chest. She rolled over so she could look at her fox, but ended up snuggling into his chest instead. Nick placed his paws across her back once again and said, "You're better than I deserve, do you know that Judy?"

Judy rubbed her cheek into his shirt, "No I'm not Nick. I'm not too good for you and you're not too good for me, we are good for each other. Does anything else matter?"

"No, no it does not Judy."

Judy groaned after a minute, "Nick! We can't keep sleeping the day away! Besides I have to call my parents."

He whined, "Ugh fine. Do you want to call them while laying on me?"

Judy swatted his chest playfully, "No! Serendipity's sake Slick, do you want to give my dad a heart attack? My parents already like you for saving my life so as long as we're gentile about it I know they won't have an issue with us dating."

Nick rubbed the tips of her ears with his fingers causing her to sigh in bliss, "Do you want to tell them today?"

Judy's voice was dreary with pleasure, "Mmmm, not sure. I'll have to see how their mood is. Are you okay with that?"

Nick laughed deeply causing his chest to rumble pleasantly. Once he stopped laughing he said, "Yeah Carrots, that's fine. That fact that you're willing to tell them at all is more than enough for me."

Judy laid there for another minute before she finally pushed herself up and said, "Okay, time for that call. You can stay of course, in fact I'd like it if you did."

Nick scooched a little away from her and said, "Then I'll stay."

She smiled at him and pulled out her phone tapping away at her screen until it started to ring. After a little delay it chimed signaling the call was connected. Nick heard Bonnie on the phone, "Hello sweetie. We were expecting a call yesterday, or even the day before…"

Judy smiled awkwardly, "Sorry about that, I've been… busy. How've you been?"

"We've been good sweetheart, your father is running himself ragged getting ready for the Carrot Festival."

Judy chuckled, "It's not for another month! He always did get too worried about things like that."

Bonnie laughed quietly, "About everything." She sounded like she was sharing a big secret with her kid and the two shared a laugh at the Hopps family patriarch. As they finished laughing Bonnie asked, "Where are you sweetie? That doesn't look like your hotel room."

Judy froze for a moment and Nick considered stepping in, but decided it was better to let the Hopps sort it out themselves. Judy could either tell the truth, lie, or say something in between and that would be up to her. He wouldn't judge her for it, but it was her choice to make. Bonnie pressed her daughter, "Hun? Are you still there?"

Judy shook herself and said, "No, I'm not in the hotel, I've actually checked out." Judy hesitated but continued, "I'm staying with Nick for the time being. He's going to be my partner once he's out of the academy and he couldn't stand me staying there all by myself so he offered up his place while I look for a place of my own."

Bonnie considered for a moment before she asked, "And how goes the search, find anything promising?"

Nick looked at his girlfriend, he was pretty sure that she hadn't actually started looking for a new home, but he wasn't positive. Judy looked at Nick and steeled her resolve, this wasn't the way she wanted any of this to come out, but she couldn't lie to her mother, and she definitely couldn't lie to Nick. She took a deep breath and finally said, "Actually I haven't started looking. Living with Nick has been so nice I didn't even think to look for another place."

Bonnie asked, "Oh, are you sure you're not a bother to him? I know he's a friend of yours and I'd hate for you to put him out like that."

Judy was feeling uncertain, was she a bother to Nick? Thankfully her fox saw her plight and slid over into frame, "Hello Mrs. Hopps. I've made it very clear to Carrots here that she's welcome to say as long as she wants. She's a good influence on me and it's starting to stick I'm afraid. Don't worry Mrs. Hopps, she couldn't be a bother if she tried."

"Call me Bonnie Nick, please. And you've been taking care of our daughter right?"

Nick smiled and said, "Yes ma'am. It's been my pleasure."

Bonnie narrowed her eyes a little and asked, "Just how much pleasure I wonder?"

Judy focused the camera back on herself, "Mom! How could you even ask that?"

"Are you going to tell me there's nothing going on between you two? If you do that'll be the end of it, but I know how miserable you've been and to see how happy he obviously makes you…."

Judy didn't hesitate, there was no point, she wouldn't deny her fox, "No I won't tell you that… Nick… is my boyfriend mom. I hope you're okay with that."

Bonnie smiled at her daughter, "Of course I am Judy. I won't lie to you and say that I fully understand it, but I don't have to understand it, I just have to support you in your decision, which I do. I know your father is a bit of a worrier, and he'll probably worry about this too, but Nick I want you to know that you shouldn't take it personally, he just cares for his children."

Judy moved so they were both in view of the camera and Nick wrapped his arm around her, "Thank you Bonnie. I… I can't tell you how much it mean for me to hear you say that. Most mammals wouldn't trust me as far as they could throw me, but you trust me with your daughter's happiness."

Bonnie smiled at the two of them, "My daughter makes good decisions, even if we can't see it at the time. If Judy trusts you then that's more than enough for me. I'll just tell you the same thing I tell all my daughter's boyfriends: you hurt her they'll never find the body."

Nick laughed at the joke until he slowly realized he was the only one laughing. When he quieted down he looked between his bunny and her mother several times before they started laughing at him. Judy kissed his check and said, "She's just kidding Slick. Besides, I don't think you could hurt me like that even if you wanted to."

Nick looked at Judy and said, "It'd be easier to tear out my own heart." and kissed her tenderly.

It wasn't until he heard, "Whew, okay never mind, I think I do get it." coming from the phone that Nick remembered his girlfriend's mother was watching them from. He moved like Judy was made of fire and completely separated from her in an instant. He cleared his throat and muttered a "Sorry." much to Bonnie's amusement, "Oh please Nick, you act as if that's the first kiss I've seen. You forget, Judy does have a lot of brothers and sisters."

Nick was able to turn the charm back on, "Right, 275 if I remember correctly. The fact that you managed to raise that many as well as keep a farm running is beyond impressive. How do you manage it?" Nick remembered rule 1 of conversations, keep the other people in the conversation talking, about themselves if possible.

Bonnie smiled at the tod, "Well once the first few litters were a bit older they helped with the younger kits, with plenty of supervision of course."

Nick smiled, "Of course. So I have to ask, was Judy a ton of help or a ton of trouble? Cause in the time that I've known her I could see it being either."

Judy nudged him in his side playfully angry but Bonnie spoke up before she could, "Oh both no question. When there was a task that had to be done, or a sibling that needed help there was no one better. But heaven help us if she got bored, she'd always find something to keep herself entertained and it was always a question if the burrow would survive or not."

Nick was almost doubled over in laughter listening to the description of his bunny as a kit. When he finally got his breathing under control he gasped out, "Are you talking about your home or your hometown?"

Bonnie smiled, "Just our home, and I am exaggerating slightly. She was a good kit and I was always proud of her, scared for her at times, but always proud. Judy, we never told you that enough, but we were always proud. I'm still proud, but now it's because you seem to have found yourself a good partner."

Judy couldn't see through the tears falling from her eyes as she started to sniffle. Nick scooped her up onto his lap and wrapped his arms around her and placed his chin on top off her head. As she leaned into his touch she composed herself enough to respond, "Thank you mom. I know you were, are, but it means a lot to hear it from you."

Bonnie was a little choked up herself as she said, "Alright sweetheart. I still need to finish up cleaning after lunch and then comes the diner prep. I'll let you two go. Oh, and Nick? I know I'm the one who made her cry, but can I trust you to cheer her up?"

Nick replied with a hearty, "Yes ma'am! You can count on me."

Judy reached up and patted his muzzle, "You really can mom, I know I do. I'll call you later okay?"

"Sounds good sweetie. Do you want me to tell your father about the two of you?"

"Only if it comes up I suppose. I love you mom!"

"Love you too Judy. Talk to you soon."

Judy and Nick both waved goodbye as the call disconnected. As soon as the screen went dark Judy turned and pushed Nick over and pinned him on the couch. Instead of anything truly passionate she simply hugged him crying softly. Nick returned the hug and stroked her ears and back softly humming to her. She calmed down after just a minute and said into his chest, "Thank you Nick."

Nick laughed, "For what Carrots?"

"Everything you do mostly. But in this case specifically for just letting me cry it out. Not telling me to stop crying, not saying it's okay and all that."

Nick said sadly, "There'll come a time where you will have to do the same for me Judy. I'm… I'm not as put together as I may seem."

Judy didn't even look up as she said, "If and when that happens I'll be there to hold you together." The two of them held onto each other for a long time enjoying the simple pleasure of their presence. Eventually Judy said, "I can't picture crying."

Nick chuckled, "It happens, it happened yesterday in fact while I was in the shower."

Judy propped herself up on his chest and asked real concern on her face, "Nick, what happened? Why was my fox crying?"

Nick placed his paw on hers and said, "It's nothing Judy don't worry about it."

She paused for a moment before she replied, "You don't have to tell me if you don't want to Nick, but please don't lie to me and say it's nothing, please."

Nick's first inclination was to keep his feelings hidden, and that's what he was planning to do, but he found himself saying, "I was crying at the thought of you leaving. I know I said you can stay here temporarily, and you are planning on moving out, but I don't want you to go." He had to fight off the urge to cry once again, but her presence on his chest did make that easier. "Damn you Judy, a week ago I'd have been able to keep that to myself, but you've broken me wide open. My beautiful bunny has torn down my walls and left me defenseless." His eyes were shimmering as he looked at her and while they weren't falling his eyes were full of tears.

Judy looked at him sheepishly, "Funny you should mention that Nick, I haven't stated looking for a new place yet, and I don't know that I will…"

Nick sat up in a flash, "Are you saying what I think you're saying?"

She nodded once, "Yes Nick, if you'd let me, I'd like to stay here."

Nick grinned wickedly, "Uh uh Carrots, that's not what you want. I need to hear you say what it is that you really want." His tone was possessive, dark almost, and Judy felt his voice rumbling in his chest almost more than she heard it. It was beyond thrilling for her. Nick paws worked their way down to her hips and he held her in place so she couldn't move away from him.

Judy swallowed weakly and said with her voice trembling slightly, "I want to move in with you Nick. Every moment I spend with you is one of the happiest moments of my life, and I want to have every second I can with you, with my fox. I know we're doing things all out of order, but I don't care."

Nick squeezed her hips, borderline roughly causing her to squeak out before he sat up pressing his lips to hers. The two of them laid back down and Nick said breathlessly, "We can do things in whatever order you want Judy, as long as we do them together I'll never be disappointed." This was the moment, he should say it. "Judy… I think, no. I know I love you. Red foxes don't rush into relationships like this, but it doesn't matter, I know how I feel about you and nothing will change that." The tears that had been treating him earlier were falling freely now.

Judy cupped his face tenderly in her paws and said, "I love you too Nick. You're the one for me." She was crying as well but she'd never looked happier as she leaned in for another kiss.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Never written a sexual scene before so any feedback would be SUPER appreciated. Next chapter the two of them will go out for dinner and some dancing, should be a good time. 3


	15. Dinner and Dancing

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Nick takes Judy out for their second ever date.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Still don't own Zootopia, keep forgetting to say that... This chapter was a lot of fun for me to write so I hope you all enjoy it too!

Judy wasn’t sure what she was expecting when Nick had said he had the perfect place, but it surely wasn’t this. It was modern bar with music that was slightly too loud and drinks way too pricy. The two of them had a table and were enjoying a fine meal. Judy had changed into a pair of jean shorts and a loose fitting t-shirt at Nick's suggestion, while he was wearing a white long sleeved t-shirt and comfortably fitting black pants. When the bill came Judy was able to snag a look before Nick snatched it from her paws looking slightly but playfully annoyed. He pulled out his wallet and removed a few bills from inside and set it on the table without a second thought. 

Seeing him be so easy with the money peaked Judy's curiosity for a moment. After she finished off her glass of wine she asked, "I'm sorry if this is rude, but how much money do you actually have Nick? I'm guessing one million isn't actually accurate… is it?"

Nick smiled affectionately, "No it's not Carrots. Last time I checked it was closer to four and a half million."

Judy was floored, stunned into silence for a long moment. Nick grinned at her and polished off his beer. When she finally composed herself she said incredulously, "Are you serious Nick?"

"Yes I am."

"Okay, I believe you, but how in Serendipity's name did you make more than 4 million dollars working a pawpsicle hustle?"

Nick offered her his paw and they stood up together and made their way over to a set of stairs, "Well that's easy, I didn’t. I made a fair bit of scratch doing the hustle for sure, but I made the majority of my money in investments. I just did the hustle as a way to spend my time, and to hang out with Fin too."

As they made their way up the stairs Judy noticed the music was getting louder. It was going to be too loud to keep up a conversation soon enough, "What kind of investments?"

Nick squeezed her paw once, "I invested in mammals Carrots. Usually down on their luck types with a good head on their shoulders. Mammals who couldn’t get a loan from a bank so I'd loan it to them. We'd work out things like payment schedules and interest rates, but it'd just be a gentlemammal's agreement. Can I tell you a secret?"

Judy paused at that, he didn’t sound afraid to share this secret, more amused than anything. She pulled him to the side of the stairway and hopped up a few extra steps so they were at eye level before turning and replying, "Of course you can Slick, what is it?"

Nick looked her dead in the eyes and said, "I'm not guilty of felony tax evasion." She looked beyond incredulous at that but he continued, "No it's true. Remember you didn’t look up Wilde Times, that's where my money is, and that company pays my taxes. Now, not every dime gets reported, but it's not as bad as you might have thought."

Judy was stunned into silence once more, when she finally found her voice she asked, "If you weren't guilty then why on earth did you help me?"

"At the time I don’t think I could've told you, I would have said I was curious at what you would do, or maybe I wanted to help my buddy Emmitt, but that wasn’t really it. I think it was because I was jealous of you."

Judy shook her head in confusion, "You were jealous of me? Even after I'd treated you so poorly when we met?" 

"Of course, here you were, some bunny who threw her perceived limitation in everyone's faces. I looked into you a little after our two brief encounters, found a news article about how a bunny enrolled in the Police Academy and broke half the records and moved on to become the valedictorian of her class. So out of jealousy I joined up with you and dragged my paws hopping to show you how pointless it was to try. I'm so sorry I tried to do that to you Judy, I'm just glad my bunny was too damn stubborn to let me stop her." 

She smiled sadly at her fox, how dare this world be so horrible to him that he wanted to bring her down as well! She didn’t blame him though, in the short time she'd known him after the gondola ride he's shown her an entirely different side of himself. Judy leaned forward and brushed her paw across his cheek, "It's okay sweetheart, I know. Besides, I'm pretty sure you're going to spend a long time making it up to me!" 

Nick chuckled and moved to continue up the stairs, "Oh yeah? And how exactly will I be doing that I wonder?"

"Easy, you are going to be my partner on the force so you're going to have to support me now instead of trying to tear me down. Fitting, the punishment should always match the crime eh Slick?" 

Nick paused and kissed her paw softly, "If that's punishment, then why do I feel so lucky?"

"Because you are: I decided to take it easy on a repetitive criminal, next time I might be forced to throw the book at you."

The two were laughing hardily as they finally made it to the top of the stairs to be greeted by a white tail deer with a truly impressive set of antlers sitting on a stool next to a closed door. Judy could hear the music coming from the other side of the door, it was loud as hell with a beat that was meant to be danced to. The bored looking bouncer glanced up from his magazine and studied the two of them for a moment before he nodded once and went back to his mag. Nick stepped forward and grabbed the medium mammal door handle opening it for his date. 

Once the door was open Judy was stunned by the shear volume and clamped her ears down her back trying to cut down on the noise. The other thing Judy noticed was that the lights were turned way down low with beams of colored lights cutting a swath through the smoke and darkness. She liked the idea of this place, a dark place to spend time with and dance with her fox, but the music was a little too loud for her tastes. 

Nick noticed her grimacing slightly and he shouted, "Shit sorry Carrots! I meant to give you these downstairs." He had in his paws a set of bunny sized earplugs. She took them gratefully and after a moment of fiddling got them situated in her ears cutting down on the noise significantly. She smiled at her foxy boyfriend and the two made their way into the club proper as he was finishing putting his own set of plugs in. While his ears may not be as sensitive as hers loud music was a great way to damage your hearing over time. 

As they made their way into the club Judy spotted the very large dance floor and began jumping up and down in excitement, "Oh, can we go dancing? Please Nick?"

There was no way he could deny her when she was being so cute, but he could delay the inevitable, "Sure thing Fluff, but we need to make a quick stop first." He lead the ecstatic bunny to the bar and was able to catch the eye of the lynx bartender. When she had a moment she walked over to the two of them and asked, "What can I get the two of you?"

Nick passed her a credit card and said, "I'll take two shots of tequila and keep the tab open please. Judy what do you want?"

Judy laughed for a second before she realized he wasn’t kidding, as the bartender was grabbing the glasses and bottle for Nick Judy asked, "Wait are you serious? Why do you need two shots for yourself?"

Nick answered, "You want me to dance, I want you to be happy so I want to dance. So this is just some social lubricant for me to actually haul my hide out there. Besides we took the train here, no reason to stay sober."

The bartender poured the two drinks for Nick and Judy said, "Just don't get too sloppy I guess, besides I have to work tomorrow so I can't have to much to drink tonight anyway. I'll take a vodka tonic I suppose, light on the vodka thanks!" The lynx set about making Judy's drink as Nick took one of his shots down in one swift motion. When the bartender returned a moment later with Judy's drink she thanked her before turning to Nick raising her glass, "Cheers Slick."

Nick grabbed his other glass and clinked it to hers saying, "Salud!" before polishing it off in one go with an appreciative sigh. 

Judy took a deep drink of hers as well before she basically yelled, "It feels good to relax like this!"

Nick nodded before he pointed to the dance floor quirking an eyebrow. Judy nodded enthusiastically before she polished off her drink and hauled him off to the dance floor by his paw. Nick laughed and followed his bunny where she lead him. When they got to the floor Judy noticed a lot of other couples dancing, most of them were same species, but there were a few inters scattered about. She wondered idly if that's why Nick brought her here, but as the next song started she realized that she didn’t give a shit, she was just happy being with her fox. 

The two of them started to dance along to the beat, Judy with her little hops and her hips swaying playfully. Nick was following her lead as best he could, but he never claimed to be a dancer, though he was fairly light on his feet. He remembered what a buddy of his once told him about dancing, start by finding the beat by bobbing your head along with it then let the rhythm flow to your extremities. It wouldn’t win you any awards, but it'd help prevent you from looking like a fool. Besides, place like this? Everyone already had their eyes on someone, no one would be watching them which allowed the two of them to focus on nothing but each other.

* * *

Hours later the two made their way out into the cool night air which felt amazing to their sweaty fur. They only stopped dancing once for a water and bathroom break and they were both exhausted. Nick checked his phone and saw it was already after 11 so they'd have to move to catch the subway back to his neighborhood. If they missed it they could just catch a cab or a zuber, but the train was so cheep it made more sense if they could catch it. 

As Nick set off he noticed straight away Judy was dead on her paws, so he took her paw in his and said, "Come on sweetheart, it's only a couple of blocks to the station then can rest on the train. After that you'll be back home, _our_ home, doesn’t that sound nice?" When Judy merely hummed her agreement Nick paused to take a better look at his girlfriend. She was shivering slightly, 'Of course you idiot!' Nick thought to himself, 'Her fur is much shorter than yours and she's been sweating these last few hours.' 

Thinking of a solution to his bunny's problems Nick let her paw go and stepped in front of her getting down on one knee presenting his back to her. She stopped in her tracks squinting at the shape in front of her before Nick spoke up, "Hop on Carrots. I can't have you freezing to death out here."

Judy mustered up enough strength to object, "Thanks, but I can make it on my own Slick…"

Nick stayed where he was, "I don’t doubt that Carrots, but you don't _have_ to make it on your own, that's the whole point of a partner isn't it?"

"But I'm covered in sweat!"

"So am I Fluff, besides, I like the way you smell, sweat and all. I wouldn’t mind letting that scent sink in a little."

Judy thought on his words for a moment before she climbed up on her fox's back and wrapped her paws around his neck softly. Nick in kind reached back and gently supported her legs before standing up. As he set off with a brisk pace Judy nuzzled the back of his neck with her cheek and whispered, "Thank you Nick."

Nick smiled at her affection and brought his tail up to cover her back, "You're welcome Judy." 

As they were getting closer to the subway Judy piped up, "You smell good too Slick."

Nick pinched her legs lightly causing her to giggle slightly, "Glad you think so Carrots." Nick swiped their transit cards and made his way to wait on the platform. Judy was dozing softly on his back so he decided to stay standing instead of sitting down on one of the chairs so he wouldn’t disturb her sleep. The only thing that would this moment better for Nick would be if he could see her cute sleeping face, but that'd be impossible without disturbing her, he'd just have to settle for the memory of her sleeping face. 

Nick glanced at the clock on the wall, the next train should be arriving in just a few minutes so he stood patiently feeling nothing but contentment. He was feeling a bit tired himself, but living on the streets for as long as he had he knew how to stay awake, even past the point of exhaustion. He closed his eyes and simply focused on his breathing, taking deep slow breaths in through his nose, identifying each smell he could, before letting it out even slower from his mouth. Somewhere around breath 20 he heard the squeal of the train coming into the station and slowly opened his eyes. Looking around briefly he noted that the platform was almost completely deserted with the exception of a homeless mammal sitting in the corner being their only companion. Nick felt a pang of guilt, he spent his own time on the streets, but he was lucky and skilled enough to have made it out (though he wasn’t foolish enough to believe it wasn’t mostly the luck that allowed him to make it). He figured it was just a bit of survivors guilt and turned towards the train as it was stopping with a small grimace.

The doors to the metal tube opened with a little hiss and Nick stepped inside. The train much like the platform was almost totally empty and Nick made his way towards the medium mammal seating. As much as he didn’t relish the thought of waking Judy he couldn’t think of a way to ride with her sleeping on his back. He set her down on the edge of one of the seats and pulled her paws off his neck as easily as he could. He managed to get her on the seat without waking her somehow and sat next to her wrapping his arm and tail around his girlfriend supporting her as the train set off. It was only 5 stops till his local station so all he had to do was stay awake until then. 

As the train came to a stop in the first station Judy slumped over, her head landing in his lap. Nick froze for a moment, her napping in his lap was a reoccurring fantasy of his and for it to come true so easily… it almost felt unreal. He placed one of his paws on her shoulder and the other found its way to her ears petting them softly. His fingers paused for a moment on the scar tissue that had formed from where Bellwether had shot her weeks before. There was a surge of emotion that washed over him, from anger and rage that someone hurt his bunny, to regret he hadn't been able to protect her. As soon as they arose, though, the feelings were gone replaced with the simple knowledge that he had done everything he could have and more, and danger came with the territory of police work. They would have to keep each other safe going forward, that thought was more than a little comforting. 

At the next stop a group of doe bunnies climbed aboard all giggling together. Nick recalled this station was closer to a more active night life district which explains the couple dozen mammals scattered around the multiple platforms. The does continued their giggling, sharing the punchline to inside jokes to each other until they spotted the pair of mammals they were sharing the train car with. Seeing Judy asleep on his lap the does fell immediately silent before they started whispering to each other behind their paws. Nick wanted nothing more than to be left alone, but he didn’t see that happening in his future. 

Sure enough before they arrived at the next station one of the does approached while the others looked on nervously. Nick decided it would be best if he could control the conversation, at least a little, and said, "Hello, can I help you?" He kept his voice even, but he was too tired (and already annoyed) for it to sound truly pleasant.

The doe said, "I'm sorry to bother you, but is your… friend, okay?" Nick wanted to lash out at that but she continued, "I wouldn’t normally say anything, but a friend of mine was slipped something once and from then on… well, you see something you say something right?"

That took all the wind out of his sails, she wasn’t coming over because he was a fox and Judy's a bunny, it's because Judy was passed out on a train. Nick smiled and said, "Of course, I'm sorry that happened to your friend by the way." He began to shake Judy lightly, "Wake up Carrots, I want to introduce you to my friend…" he glanced up at the bunny just now realizing he hadn't gotten her name yet.

"Cathy." She supplied, "And my friend was okay actually, thankfully we were with her when it happened so we were able to get her home safely."

Judy was waking up at this point, "Are we already back home Slick?" Even as tired as she was her smile was blinding and Nick's tail started to wag slightly. 

"Not yet Fluff, Cathy here just wanted to make sure you were okay. You were asleep on a train so she though 'See something, say something' you know? A fine policy if you ask me."

Judy looked over at the bunny standing in front of them and pushed herself off her foxes lap with an unhappy groan, "Hello. Cathy was it? Thank you for checking up on me, it's mammals like you that make our jobs easier at the ZPD."

"ZPD? Wait, are you Judy Hopps? Oh my Serendipity! We've heard all about you!" She turned back to her friends for a moment, "Girls! It's Officer Judy Hopps! I can't believe I'm meeting you like this. You've done a lot for us smaller mammals. I'm sorry to have bothered you two, I shouldn’t have stuck my nose where it didn’t belong."

Judy shook her head, "No, it's good that you did, just because I'm okay doesn’t mean the next mammal wouldn’t be. Besides, I can't say that I blame you, he is a little shifty looking if you ask me."

Nick's expression went to deadpan, "I'll have you know I am a perfect gentlemammal at all times." Nick realized he had Cathy at a disadvantage and reached out his paw, "Nick Wilde, at your service. You and your friends are welcome to sit with us if you want. We're only on for a few more stops, but please feel free. I'm sure you have a few questions for Super-Bunny here."

Cathy looked sheepish, "If you're sure we wouldn’t be a bother?"

Judy smiled and shifted closer to Nick, her eyes feeling heavier by the moment, "Not at all! I haven't actually met that many bunnies since moving to Zootopia, I'm always in the mood for more friends. You'll have to forgive me if I'm a bit tired though, I've been dancing these last few hours and I'm exhausted."

Once Cathy returned with her friends they all had a friendly conversation. Judy mostly listened as Nick talked with the other bunnies about their favorite places, what bars charged too much, and the best place to get late night food. Judy might have felt jealous at the attention Nick was paying them if his paw wasn’t wrapped around her waist, his fingers flexing occasionally showing that no matter how much he was talking to them he was only focused on her. 

As their stop was coming up Judy said, "Oh, let me get your number Cathy! I'm not sure when I'll have a day off again, but I'd love to do lunch sometime with you and your friends." 

Cathy gave her number while Judy entered it into her phone, "Make sure you reach out when you get a chance. And bring Nick too if you want."

They all said their goodbyes and Nick and Judy stepped off onto the platform. Judy stopped to wave as the train pulled away grinning from ear to floppy ear. Nick said as the station fell silent, "Good night Carrots?"

She grabbed his paw and they set off, "It's been amazing Nick. Seriously, I don't think I could have asked for a better night. Thank you."

Nick had to resist the urge to scoop her into his arms and instead settled for squeezing her paw lightly and said, "For you Fluff? There's nothing I wouldn’t do. Now then, let's get you home and into bed, you've got to get a good night's rest before work tomorrow."

She nodded and they continued on. As they neared their home Judy broke the silence, "What do you think of Cathy?"

Nick was partially expecting this question so he didn’t have to think too long before he replied, "She seems nice. At first I thought she was asking about you because I'm just some sketchy fox, but turns out a friend of hers was dosed once so she pays extra attention to things like a sleeping girl being taken somewhere. It was… nice to be seen as an equal. Even though she was checking on us it was just what she would do for any other pair of mammals. Besides, she seems to like you so she obviously has good taste."

Judy laughed at his little joke as they neared the stone bridge. Once their warehouse came into view Nick bent down and scooped Judy into his arms carrying her close to his chest. She offered no protest instead turning her face to bury it in his fur that was peaking out through the top of his shirt humming in delight. 

As they neared the door Nick said, "Can you unlock the door Judy? My paws are full." He squeezed her butt lightly to emphasize his point. Judy let out a small gasp at his attention to her rear, but after swallowing weakly, she ignored it and pulled out her keys quickly unlocking the door and opening it up. As he stepped over the threshold Nick whispered in her ear, "I love your butt Carrots, one of your cheeks fit perfectly in my paw. Like it was formed just for me." He continued to fondle her rear and she bit down on his collar bone lightly to prevent herself from crying out loud drawing a growl of lust to be pulled from his chest. 

Nick kicked the door closed behind him and said weakly, "You need to get some sleep Carrots." Though he didn’t sound very convincing as he continued to play with her ass. 

Judy said breathlessly, "In a minute." and grabbed his face pulling his mouth to hers kissing her fox deeply and he responded in kind. As she started to lick his teeth Nick growled and pinned her to the door, holding her up with one paw still on her rear while the other stroked her sides. Judy was lost in his touch and was simply holding onto his neck keeping his mouth glued to hers. After a minute Nick reached up and tugged on one of her ears lightly causing her to tilt her head back and let out a gasp. Nick noticed that with her head tilted back it exposed her neck wonderfully and he dove in nibbling her neck before licking the spots he had bit.

Judy grabbed onto his ears and held on for dear life as he set about devouring his meal. As he was working his way across her jaw Judy wrenched back on his ears slightly harder than she had meant to and as he winced as he pulled his face away. Judy was panting more than a little and now that he wasn’t focused on nibbling his little treat Nick noticed her scent had become quite aroused. He felt a little surge of foolish male pride that he was able to elicit such a reaction even without taking off a single piece of clothing. 

Nick kissed her sweetly between her ears and said, "Let's stop here for now Judy. If we go any further I won't want to stop…"

Judy wrapped her arms around his neck again pulling him into a tender hug and said softly, "I almost don’t want you to stop."

Nick muttered, "That's dangerous talk Fluff." before he pulled the two of them away from the wall and continued to hold her close, though he did move his paw away from her rear to avoid further temptation. As they approached the door to the living area Nick kissed her cheek and asked, "Have I told you how much I love you recently Judy? Because it's more than a little."

"You could stand to say it a bit more often, but I'll forgive you this once, only because I love you too Nick." She kissed his cheek in kind before lifting herself out of his arms and hopping to the ground softly. "Come on Slick, I need to get some sleep." and she led him by the paw towards the bathroom. They stood side by side as they brushed their teeth and they both marveled at how domestic it was and how right it felt. Judy left the bathroom first to let Nick relieve himself as she changed into some pajamas, which consisted of a simple pair of panties and one of Nick's t-shirts. Had she not felt so riled up she might have been a bit more conservative in her outfit but her fox's claws had her too turned on. 

As she heard the toilet flush she stepped out of the bedroom, she wanted to see Nick's reaction as soon as possible. Nick opened the door and stopped dead in his tracks his mouth agape. He was able to flap his jaws a few times but no sound was able to come out. Judy did a little spin lifting the hem of the shirt just a little bit revealing the edges of her panties ever so slightly, "Well Slick, what do you think? I hope you don't mind me wearing one of your shirts."

Nick placed a finger under her chin lifting it so she was staring him right in the eyes, "Judy the only thing I mind is the thought that you'll ever have to wear something else." She smiled at him and stepped by to make her way into the bathroom. While Judy was finishing in there Nick got changed as well. Though he was pretty sure he wouldn’t be able to elicit the same reaction as his girlfriend got from him he was determined to get _something_ of a reaction from his lovely bunny. So he threw on a pair of loose fitting boxers and considered grabbing a shirt, but decided to go topless instead.

He waited in the hall for a few moments before Judy finished and stepped out of the bathroom. Judy churred appreciatively at the sight before her before jumping into his arms and burying her face in his chest fluff. Nick laughed and held her there swaying softly to an imaginary beat. He started to turn in place and pulled her even tighter into his chest as he said softly, "Good night Judy." and he set her down on the floor before turning towards the living room.

He didn’t even make it two steps before Judy managed to grab his paw, "Where are you going Slick? You said so yourself: you don't have to sleep in the armchair."

Nick smiled bashfully and said, "Yeah I know, but I figured with you having work tomorrow you should get the bed again, I honestly don't mind."

Judy gripped his paw suddenly feeling very embarrassed, "Well I thought we could sleep together." Suddenly Nick's throat was very dry, "Not _together_ together, just in the same bed together. Oh sweet cheese and crackers this shouldn’t be this hard." 

Although most of his words were failing him he was able to recall a portion of the movie they'd watched together a few days prior, "As you wish." was all he said before scooping her into his arms again and carried her over the threshold. He made his way over to his, no, _their_ bed and still carrying her in one arm pulled back the sheets with the other before laying her down softly on the mattress. Judy's face was beet red from embarrassment but she was determined to meet his gaze without breaking. Nick took a single step back before pouncing onto the bed gracefully landing a few feet away from Judy. 

Nick rolled onto his back and adjusted his pillow, content to be near but not next to Judy. She apparently did not feel the same way as she made abundantly clear by climbing over until she was pressed against her fox before she pulled the covers over the two of them. Nick wasn’t the most knowledgeable mammal when it came to relationships, but even he knew what to do in this situation and he rolled onto his side spooning his bunny tenderly. He draped one paw over her stomach while the other he slipped under her head for support. 

Being with her like this was enough to convince Nick that everything was going to be okay. As he was beginning to relax Judy whispered, "I love you Nick, and good night."

Nick shifted ever so slightly, "I love you too Judy, good night."

* * *

Halfway across the city a fennec fox sat in the back of his van staring at the phone in his paws displaying a contact for Nick Wilde. Every time his finger moved to push the call button he convinced himself it wasn't his fault even though he knew that wasn't true. The danger that was coming for Nick had a great deal to do with the little fox.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I had a lot of fun writing the fluff for this chapter even if I almost had to break out the thesaurus for the word butt. Next chapter we'll see what it is that Fin has done to get Nick into danger. Originally the bunnies who got on the train were going to be bucks who were going to try and 'save' Judy, but I thought why not give them an unexpected ally instead.
> 
> I also want to take a second to thank all of you, especially the people who have left Reviews/Comments! It means a lot to me, more than you may realize. Thank you! :3


	16. First Day Back

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Judy's a bit stressed to be going back on the job but her fox keeps her grounded. Also, Finn calls.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Don't own Zootopia.
> 
> I'm happy with how this chapter turned out, took a few rewrites of a few sections to get it sorted. I also had spent more time on the Zootopia Wiki for this chapter than the rest...

Nick woke up to the sound of a phone ringing. He took and held a deep breath to gather the strength required to silence the offending device. Cracking his eyes he saw he was looking straight up at the ceiling which means he was sleeping on his back. The next thing he noticed was Officer Judy Hopps curled up on his chest still fast asleep. Her phone was the one making all the racket and he grabbed it off the nightstand silencing the alarm while checking the time. It was only 5:30, but if she wanted to be up at this unholy hour it was his responsibility as her boyfriend to make it happen. He slowly rolled her onto her back and got a good look at her, his shirt had ridden up a little in the night exposing the white fur on her stomach that under closer inspection traveled all the way below the edge of her panties.

Taking a moment to etch this sight into his memory he pulled the shirt back down a little to ease the temptation to ravish her with kisses to wake her. Instead he stroked her cheek softly quietly saying, "Judy, your alarm went off just a minute ago. It's time for you to wake up sweetheart."

She stirred a moment later rapidly waking up. When her eyes opened and were able to focus on the fox practically looming over her she smiled up at him while rubbing her cheek into his paw, "Good morning Slick. What time is it?"

Nick kissed her once before answering, "Just after 5:30."

No sooner did he finish giving the time then she was out of the bed in a flash, "Oh sweet cheese and crackers, I overslept!"

Nick managed to drag himself out of bed as she was grabbing a fresh set of clothes from her suitcase. Nick made a note to take her shopping for some bedroom furniture at some point. "Overslept? Carrots you don't have to be at work for another hour and a half."

Judy had her arms full of some of her clothes as she turned to answer, "I know, but my uniform is at the precinct and I need to be dressed before roll call. That and the train isn't the fastest way to get around town so if I don't get going soon I'll be late on my first day back!"

Nick grabbed her by the shoulders as she was dashing for the door and turned her around slowly, "Okay baby I understand. You take a shower and I'll prep breakfast, how does oatmeal and toast sound?"

Judy visibly calmed down, mostly from being called baby, but the rest of it helped too. "That'd be amazing Slick, thank you."

Nick cupped her cheek tenderly and continued, "Great, and after you're ready I can drive you into work. I'd let you take the car yourself but I actually have some errands to run so it works out."

Judy slapped her paw to her forehead, "I forgot you had a car… Serendipity's sake I'm frazzled; I think I'm more nervous about going back to work than I thought."

Nick wrapped her up in a tight hug and even surrounded her with his tail, "You're a good cop Judy, and even more importantly: you're a good mammal. Just never forget that, okay sweetheart?"

She started to cry softly in his arms, "How are you so perfect Nick?"

Nick laughed bitterly, "I'm not perfect Carrots, I just want to be the mammal you think I can be."

Judy leaned back so she could look in his misty eyes, "No, the mammal I know you are. Now hurry up and kiss me so I can go take a shower."

"Yes ma'am!" he replied and kissed her passionately. Nick was feeling particularly amorous that morning so he ended up pinning her to the floor with him pressed on top of her. He came back to his senses when she booped him lightly on the tip of his snout causing him to sit up and wiggle his nose.

Judy purred up at her fox, "Okay, as much as I'm enjoying this I can't use a sick day on my first day back. Let me up, please."

Nick nodded and helped her back on her feet trying his best to hide his erection though despite his best efforts Judy did notice the large tent he was pitching. Judy froze staring at his boxers before she swallowed weekly and made her way into the bathroom. Nick took a moment to get himself back under control before he got dressed in some gym shorts and a tank top. He made his way into the kitchen and set about getting the food ready. The oatmeal he had was plain, but he had a myriad of toppings/mix ins so there was plenty of variety. After a few minutes he heard the shower turn off and that's when he started the toast and poured the boiling water into the two bowls.

Judy walked in a minute later dressed in some nice slacks and a white t-shirt while scrubbing between her ears with a towel. Nick poured a handful of blueberries into his bowl with a small sprinkle of cinnamon while Judy added maple syrup and raisins to hers. As they sat next to each other wolfing down their food Judy asked around a mouthful of toast, "You said you had errands, what are you up to today Slick?"

Nick smiled mysteriously and said, "It's a surprise Carrots. But I suppose if you ask nicely enough I might tell you."

Judy smiled and fluttered her eyes at him, "Would you tell me please?"

He hadn't planned on telling her no matter what she did, but there was no way he could deny her anything, "I'm picking up a few things for the bike. I reached out to a buddy of mine the other day and he said he already had the parts."

She perked up at that, "Oh! When do you think it'll be ready?"

"Hmm, any day now. Do you want to go anywhere in particular when it's ready?"

"How about the Meadowlands? We were only there briefly to get to the Cliffside Asylum, but the roads were windy and super hilly! Perfect for a motorcycle ride if you ask me."

Nick kissed her adorable face before hopping off his chair, "Sounds perfect. Now if you don't mind cleaning up a bit I need a shower of my own before we head out."

Judy smiled at her fox, they'd only been living together for a few days but to her it already felt easy, like they'd been doing it for years at this point. She pinched his bottom and said, "Go on, I can take care of this."

Nick yelped and scampered a few steps away then gave her a look, "Geeze Carrots, easy on the merchandise." Judy smirked at him and he walked away pretending to be hurt.

A few minutes later Nick was standing in the kitchen freshly showered and fully dressed. Judy smiled at him from her seat at the island, "Hey Slick, you're looking good. We actually have a few minutes before we need to get going, what do you want to do before we go?"

"Ravish you with kisses, but you probably don't want to reek of fox on your first day back. So I'll settle for you sitting on my lap while I play with your ears."

Judy's fur looked even redder than Nick's as she asked bashfully, "You like my ears?" She glanced away as she stroked one of them absently.

Nick walked right up to her and said, "Of course I do. I love how soft they are, I love how they are a perfect indicator of your mood, and I love how red they turn when you're embarrassed. They are in my top 5 for your best physical attributes."

Judy gave him an annoyed look, "You ranked my attributes? Really Slick?"

Nick booped her on the nose with a cocky grin, "Nope. How could I when I love every inch of you? It's too hard to point out one spot I like better than the rest."

Judy slipped out of her chair and jumped at Nick who caught her with a laugh, it felt good to be as happy as he was. He spun around on his paws holding her in his arms while they laughed together looking in each other's eyes. As he slowed his spinning Judy said, "So, I think you mentioned something about ear pets?"

He didn't say a thing as he carried her over to the couch, settling down before placing her on his lap. She shifted for a moment before he asked, "Comfortable?"

She shifted again, scooching back further into his lap, "Yes I am. My fox is a perfect pillow or blanket. It's the real reason I'm dating you if I'm honest."

Nick smiled but instead of answering started running his claws through the fur on her ears. She shivered in delight as she relaxed at his touch. "Is that right? So you don't like my claws then?" He didn't stop stroking her though.

"Well, I didn't say that… Please don't stop."

Nick kissed the top of her head, "I won't Sweetheart."

They stayed on the couch together for a few minutes with Nick constantly scratching her ears softly until he said, "Do you want to get going Judy?"

Judy let out a whine, "Nooooo. I wanna stay with you!"

Nick stopped petting her, "No you don't, not really. The bunny I know and love wants to go out and help mammals."

She sighed dramatically, "You're right. When did you become the good influence?"

Nick stood up carrying her off the couch, "When you came back to find me. That was the day Nick the hustler died, and from the ashes boyfriend material Nick was born."

Judy wrapped her paws around his neck and kissed him softly before slipping out of his paws and landed on the floor, "Well, I didn't hate hustler Nick, but I am in love with boyfriend Nick. I love you Nick."

Nick followed her to the door and said, "I love you too Judy."

* * *

There was an empty parking spot behind the station that Nick was able to park the Shelby in. Nick looked over at his bunny from the drivers seat, "Here we are Carrots. You ready to make a difference?"

Judy beamed at him as she undid her seatbelt, "Sure am, soon enough it'll be us making a difference. Serendipity I can't wait for that! This isn't some cruel dream is it Nick?"

Nick flashed her a dangerous grin, "I could always pinch you to prove it's not if you want."

"Hmm, tempting but no, I really should be going." She hopped across the front of the car and kissed her fox quickly, "I'll see you after my shift okay?"

"Of course, I'll come by and pick you up, just text me if you're going to be late for any reason."

As Judy opened her mouth to respond there was a knocking on Nick's window. Nick turned to look and he spotted a polar bear in uniform bent over peaking in at him. Nick's shoulders slumped as he prepped himself to get dragged though the 10th degree and he rolled down his window slightly. Once it was cracked open the polar bear said, "I thought that was you Hopps, someone said you were coming back today. I uh, I wanted to say… thanks for finishing what you started with the missing mammals and the Night Howler cases. And I wanted to be the first to say, welcome back."

Nick rolled the window down further and Judy smiled at the bear and said, "Thank you… Grizzoli right?" The bear nodded, "I appreciate it, I'll see you in the bullpen as soon as I get in uniform!"

Officer Grizzoli nodded and waved, but as he turned to go he took another look at Nick and narrowed his eyes stopping to stare at the fox for a long moment. After a few seconds he said in surprise, "You! You were the fox from the museum!"

Nick lowered his sunglasses a bit and said, "Yes I am. The name's Nick, it's nice to meet you Officer Grizzoli." He stuck his paw out the window for the bear to shake.

As Grizzoli took Nick's paw and shook it firmly he said, "I'm amazed you're doing okay, I've never seen a mammal who looked worse than you. You are made of some strong stuff Nick. To do what you did in the shape we found you in? I can barely believe it and I saw it with my own eyes."

Nick took a deep breath, not enjoying the memories that the polar bear was dredging up, but as he eased out the air in his lungs the feeling passed. It was a bitter solace, but remembering that he had no other choice made it easier to stomach what he'd done. Eventually he said, "Thanks, means a lot officer. Alright Carrots, time for you to get going."

Grizzoli said, "See you inside Carrots." much to Nick's distaste.

He was trying to figure out what to say when Judy spoke out, "Actually Officer Grizzoli, I have to insist on Hopps or Officer Hopps. Nothing personal, just trying to keep it professional." Her voice was firm but pleasant which was miles above what Nick would have been.

Grizzoli apologized, "Of course Hopps, you're right. I'll see you inside." And with that Grizzoli made his way inside.

Nick pulled Judy's attention back to himself with a paw on her cheek, soon as she was looking at him he mashed his lips to hers. It was quick as he didn't want her to go through the embarrassment of getting her caught making out in the parking lot first day back on the job. As they pulled apart Nick said, "So am I the only one who gets to call you Carrots?"

"Yup, one of your many boyfriend privileges that you get to enjoy."

Nick sighed from pure happiness, "I love you Judy."

Judy pecked his lips and said, "I love you too Nick. I'll see you after my shift!" and she hopped out the door.

Nick leaned out his window, "Looking forward to it!" and watched as she entered the precinct.

* * *

Judy checked her phone and while she wasn't late she wasn't as early as she'd usually prefer. She spotted Clawhauser setting up his stuff at the front desk once again. She shouted out as she ran by, "Welcome back to the front desk Clawhauser! It's good to see you again."

Ben laughed and waved, "Thank you Judy! Welcome back yourself. You better hurry if you don't want to be late to the bullpen."

She kept running and said, "I know! We'll talk later okay?"

"Looking forward to it."

A few minutes later Judy was clambering into the empty seat in the front row same as her first day. Once she was settled she spotted a massive fist coming in from her right. She smiled up at McHorn and returned the gesture happily. A moment later the Hippo in the front of the room called out "Atten-hut!" and every-mammal stood up and pounded their tables chanting in unison as Chief Bogo entered the room. Now that Judy knew him a little better she was reminded how strong he looked, how he presented himself as an unstoppable force, a fixed point for everyone else to base themselves around. It was comforting to know that this water buffalo actually wanted her here helped reaffirm that she belonged.

Bogo stood at the podium and called out, "Alright that's enough." and the whole room fell silent in less then a second. He continued, "We have a returning face from her stint undercover…" Judy glanced around to see who he was talking about but every-mammal was staring at her, "who gives a damn. Things are quiet for the most part, but there's a sting of stolen cars in Tundra-Town, there was a break-in at an electronics store in the Meadowlands that we're looking into. Now, assignments:" Judy listened to him assign the officers in the room to interesting sounding cases and thrilling details and dreaded the moment he called her to Parking Duty again. Finally her name came up: "Hopps, I want you with Wolfard and Fangmeyer. You still don't have a permanent partner, and you've off the beat for a bit, they'll keep you sorted until we get you a permanent partner."

Judy glanced back to the wolf and tiger pair and they nodded once to her as Bogo continued, "Alright, you have your assignments, dismissed!"

As everyone else filed out of the bullpen Judy remained behind wanting a private word with the Chief who stayed behind as well. Even after the room was clear Bogo remained silent, making it clear he was waiting for Judy to speak first, which she eventually did, "Sir, were you implying that I was the one who was undercover?"

Chief Bogo took off his glasses and sighed, "Yes Hopps, I am. A good deal of the mammals who were involved in the Night Howler plot are now dead, but the DA and I both agree that for us to easily prosecute any others that may turn up it's better if all evidence was found by an officer not a rouge civilian, not to mention the image it presents to the public. Besides, I never did get around to filing your resignation."

Judy felt touched knowing that even when she lost faith in herself he still believed in her, "Thank you sir. I'll earn your faith in me."

"I meant it when I said we need good cops, like you. Now, stop keeping your partners waiting Hopps. Dismissed."

Judy flashed a salute and made her way out of the bullpen. Out in the hall she spotted her temporary partners who walked over towards her. The tigress spoke first, "Well Hopps, looks like you're stuck with us for the time being. I hope we don't slow you down too much."

Judy laughed once and said, "I doubt that you two will slow me down at all. I've seen your records, you two are a force to be reckoned with and I hope to learn a quarter of what you know."

Wolford narrowed his eyes in contemplation before stepping forward and questioning, "Okay, I saw you during your first week, what happened to the gung-ho Hopps I saw back then? The one who wanted to take on the world by herself?"

Judy felt a little ashamed but didn't break eye contact as she said, "I talked at a press conference. I know Bellwether set me up to fail, but that doesn't change the fact I said to horrifying things behind that podium, things that hurt those that are dear to me and those I've never met. I can't make a similar mistake, never again."

The wolf and tiger pair seemed to accept that and Fangmeyer said, "Good enough for me. We're just patrolling the Savanah today so hopefully we won't be bringing down any mayors or psychotic sheep."

Judy did not take the joke lightly, "Mammals died Fangmeyer, it's not exactly a joking matter."

Fangmeyer looked away for a moment, "Sorry, you're right Hopps. We should get going."

The three of them set off towards the parking garage and Judy was feeling a bit guilty, she shouldn't have snapped at Fangmeyer like that. "I'm sorry too Fangmeyer, I know you didn't mean anything by it."

"No problem."

As they neared the garage Judy spotted Wolford giving her sidelong looks. She couldn't figure out what his issue with her was so she didn't say anything, merely filing it away for later.

* * *

Nick parked his car outside Tony's Bikes and Trikes. He'd known Tony a long time, he was one of the mammals he invested in. Tony was in a bad line of work for a while and he'd never grown a hide thick enough to deal with it. Nick knew their line of work was going to get Tony killed one day so when he found out that he was good with his paws and had an affection for motorcycles he helped him get setup.

As Nick walked through the front door he heard someone call out from within the shop, "Wilde! It's good to see you again. When are you going to bring your bike in for me to check up on? I shudder to think about that poor thing under your clumsy paws." Tony was a rather large Siberian Tiger and his face was split with an even larger grin as he walked towards Nick with his arms outstretched.

Nick offered up a paw for a shake clearly not looking for a hug and said, "It's good to see you too Tony."

"One of these day's I'll get that hug Wilde. Now, come on back, I have the parts you requested. Though I must admit, I am curious about the parts. A quieter exhaust is normal enough, but why a smaller rear seat? It won't fit your bike you know."

Nick said, "I know, I'll have to make some modifications for it to fit. As for the why? Easy, it's so my girlfriend can ride comfortably."

Tony stopped in his tracks and looked back at Nick for a moment before he said, "My office, now!"

Nick opened his mouth to object but seeing the seriousness in Tony's eyes simply nodded and followed him in. Tony walked behind his desk and sat down in his chair while Nick hopped up onto the medium mammal seat that was available. Tony sat in silence for a long moment before he slammed his desk causing Nick to flinch, he'd seen first paw what Tony was capable of when the situation called for it. As he was getting ready to leap off the chair he noticed what exactly slammed the desk, it was a bottle of scotch and two glasses.

Tony pulled the top of the bottle and as he poured out two small measures he said, "Is she good for you Wilde?"

He slid one of the glasses to Nick who took it thankfully, "Better than I deserve if I'm honest." The two of them clinked their glasses together and drank the amber liquid. "So why the scotch? Not that I'm complaining."

"Because Wilde, you are a good mammal who has subjected yourself to a life of missay for no other reason than you falsely think you deserve it. So hearing that you've gotten yourself a girlfriend warms my heart."

Nick set his glass back on the desk, "Thank you Tony, I appreciate that."

"So who's the lucky lady? Is she a large fennec fox or something? That would explain the smaller seat."

"Her name's Judy Hopps, she's actually a bunny."

The air immediately seemed to chill in the office. Tony eased back in his seat and narrowed his eyes at Nick before he said quietly, "You are fucking with me right Wilde? Tell me this is some sort of joke. You cannot be dating that bitch."

Nick took a deep breath to calm himself but was still shaking slightly as he said, "We've been friends for a while Tony, so I'll let that one slide, but just that one."

"She did a lot to hurt us Preds Wilde, how can you just forgive that?"

Nick calmed himself down further, "Because Tony, she was set up to say that shit at the press conference. She was presented with bad data and told to address the whole of Zootopia. She shouldn't have said what she said, you know it, I know it, but more importantly she knows it too. Besides, she came back, apologized to me for what she said, and together we found the real culprits and stopped them. I am sorry you were hurt by her words, I am, but I will not let you bad mouth her."

Tony nodded, "Yeah, I saw her follow-up interview. A sheep with some sort of toxic formula right? Sounds like BS to me."

Nick chuckled darkly, "Ha, I wish. I can promise you Tony, it's all very real. If we're lucky we got everyone who was part of the manufacturing process. I don't even want to consider more of that shit floating around the city."

Tony sighed and said, "Alright, I'm sorry Nick. If she's good enough for you that's more than good enough for me I suppose. Now, let's go get your parts."

Nick slid out of his chair and smiled at his friend, "It's okay Tony, I'm just glad we were able to talk it out."

The tiger laughed at that, "Ha! It would have been good to see which one of us would have won, settle the score once and for all eh?"

"Maybe next time."

The two shared a laugh as they made their way into the parts storage area. As they were nearing where Nick's stuff was being kept Nick felt his phone vibrate in his pocket. Hoping it was Judy for no other reason than he missed her already he snatched it out of his pocket in a flash. He was disappointed to see Finnick's name pop up and considered letting him go to voicemail, but finally decided to pick it up.

He pressed the phone up to his ear and said curtly, "Hey Fin, what's up?"

The other end was silent for a long time before Fin spoke up, "Hey fox, I got some bad news. Word on the street has it that Big is planning on closing your ledger."

Nick felt his blood run cold, "What? Why now? I've been out of the family for a long time. Why would he want me gone now?"

Fin answered glumly, "It may have something to do with the fact that I've been spending the last few days bitching about you going to work for the fuzz, it probably ended up getting back to him. I'm sorry Nick, I was pissed, but I never wanted you dead."

Nick felt the room closing in on him and his heartrate started to sky rocket. As he was beginning to panic he stepped back into his old life as a wave of cold calm settle over him. His voice didn't waver at all as he said, "Fin, spread the word that we're having dinner tonight, at Maggie's Bar. I'll get the jump on anyone dumb enough to step up." His voice was edging towards violent, "If Big want's a piece, he'll get more than he bargained for."

Fin was a bit surprised to hear that, "Just that easy?"

"It's what I've got to work with Fin. So yes, just that easy. I've dealt with better mammals than him, though maybe not someone with more connections if I'm honest."

"Alright, I'll see you at 7 then."

"Fin, you don't have to come too."

"Don't have to, want to. I've got some rumors to spread, I'll say I'm planning on kicking your ass, should give the rumor some legs. Later fox."

"I'll talk to you later Fin."

Tony was standing nearby and said, "Couldn't help but overhear Wilde, you need some help?"

"No Tony, if it gets that bad I'll call you. I can go against Big if I need to, but if you go against him losing your shop would be the best outcome. You have mammals who work here who rely on this job. Karma, not to mention your family! You can't do that to them."

Tony nodded, "You're right Wilde, I'm sorry I can't help."

Nick said, "It's fine, I've got this. No one's gotten me yet, and I'm not dying today." His knuckles popped loudly and he clenched his fists, "I finally have something worth fighting for, and I won't let anyone take that away from me."

He grabbed his parts and loaded them in his car while Tony watched from a few feet away. They looked at each other for a moment but there was nothing left to say so Tony opened his arms for a hug. Nick stuck out his paw, "Till next time Tony." They shook once and Tony made his way back into his shop, prepping it for when his employees would show up. Nick sat in his car for a second thinking about what he said about having something worth fighting for and he pulled out his cellphone. He typed out a text to Judy, 'I miss you, what time will you be taking your lunch?'

As he turned the engine over her response came in, '11. I was going to suggest we have lunch together but I didn't want to seem clingy.'

'Dumb bunny'

'My fox. 3'

He wasn't sure how he'd tell Judy, but she deserved to know.

* * *

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I had to look up to make sure the 10th degree was a real expression... I knew I'd heard it before but I wasn't positive. According to the Wiki Grizzoli is a wolf in the movie, a polar bear in the game, and a grizzly bear according to the director. I settled on the polar bear, cause that's what I wrote before I looked it up on the Wiki.
> 
> Next chapter will be full o' action and drama.


	17. Heavy Conversations

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Nick makes a tense phone call before meeting his girlfriend for lunch.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Don't own Zootopia, but it was just my birthday last week Disney...
> 
> Alright, I know I promised action in this chapter, but it kinda got away from me, so I'm sorry I lied...

Nick pulled the car into the warehouse and closed the garage door watching it shut in the rearview mirror. Once he was satisfied it was completely closed he pulled out his phone and selected the security app. He doubled checked that there were no new alerts since he checked it a block away. The only alerts where the cameras catching him pulling in and the motion detectors in the garage area. Finally satisfied that no one had attempted to break into his home he stepped out of his car and into the warehouse. He left most of the lights off inside, felling comfortable in the low light and made his way over to his filing cabinet, the one he had pointed out to Judy just the other day.

He opened the drawer and pulled out his little black book and considered it a moment before setting it aside. He then reached back within the drawer and removed a false panel from within revealing a small simple cellphone and charger. He took them both and walked over to one of the desks nearby and plugged it in to the desk lamp and watched as the battery icon popped up indicating it was charging successfully. He sat silently for a minute or two trying to remain calm, he was not looking forward to turning on the phone in front of him but he was currently flying blind and what that phone contained would get him the information he'd need.

Once he was satisfied the phone wouldn't die just trying to turn it on he held down the power button till he saw the logo pop up. After a few moments the phone was on and asking for the unlock code which he entered. He then opened the contact list and dialed the one number that was listed and placed the phone to his ear as it began to ring.

After the second ring the line connected and a raspy voice came through, "Who is this and how did you get this number?"

Nick closed his eyes and replied, "Hello sir. Are you alone?" He wasn't looking forward to talking with Mr. Big, but if he was the one behind the threat on his life than Nick had more than enough info for Mr. Big to reconsider.

Mr. Big almost sounded amused, almost, "Nicky, how did you get this number I wonder? Meh, do not tell me, I'd hate to ice whoever gave it to you. I suffered your presence twice because your friend saved my daughter, but do not for a moment think that makes us friends again. You would do well to loose this number."

Nick remembered being thrown out of the family years ago, begging Mr. Big to believe that he'd never sell him a skunk butt rug, especially not for gram-mama, but his pleading had fallen on deaf ears. He would not beg today, "I know sir, and I would not be calling if I didn't have good reason. Someone I trust told me of a rumor that you were planning on closing my ledger."

"Nicky, the only reason you are still walking around a free mammal is you were one of the best enforcers I've ever had. I didn't ice you the day you betrayed my trust, and while I have not forgiven you, the years has dulled my anger. What possible reason would I have to strike at you now?"

Nick had always liked Big, and even though he knew Mr. Big was capable of having him killed without remorse it sounded to Nick that he wasn't behind the talk on the streets. Still, the reaction to what he was about to say would be a good indicator, "Because sir, I'm about to join the police academy. That might put you in an… awkward position."

Mr. Big was silent for a long time before he answered, "A mammal who has not been doing what I do for as long as I have may have had a stronger reaction to this news. I for one do not foresee any awkwardness from this development. I doubt you will try and spill any of my secrets for we both that would destroy us both. As for closing your ledger Nicky, no, that has nothing to do with me. Like I said, we both know too many secrets."

Nick had heard the genuine surprise about joining the academy in Mr. Big's voice when he had answered, he truly was not behind the threat as far as Nick was concerned. "Okay sir, thank you for taking the time to talk to me. You wont hear from me again if at all possible."

Mr. Big didn't respond and hug up his personal cellphone he looked at the device like it offended him. He let out a sigh and began to think of what Nick had told him, if there was a mammal out there using his name for their personal gain he'd make sure it was the last mistake they'd ever make.

* * *

Nick took out the SIM card from the phone and snapped it in half before smashing the cellphone with the lamp on the desk. He tossed the pieces into a nearby bin and put everything back in the filing cabinet. Once any trace of the phone call was swept away he made his way into the living area of the warehouse. He walked to the hallway closet and opened the door slowly, as if it were made of lead. Once it was open he moved a few boxes aside revealing a small metal safe. Spinning the nobs with speed born of muscle memory he entered the code in a few seconds and opened the case. Inside were a few items, a lighter his dad had left behind, one of the few photos of his mother he still had, a few stacks of bills in various denominations, and a set of brass knuckles which he pulled out with grief on his face.

He looked at the brass knuckles and slipped them on with tears spilling down his face. The fact that they still fit perfectly was just a twist of the metaphorical knife. He pulled them off and slipped the knuckles into his back pocket and went towards the living room to sit and mope on the couch, but as he passed the bedroom he caught the scent of Judy. Following his nose he walked in the room and walked over to the bed and without thinking about it climbed into the bed and crawled under the covers and immersed himself in her presence. It was almost as if she was here holding him, and if it wasn't for the all to familiar weight of the knuckled dusters in his back pocket it would have been comforting, instead it felt like he was betraying her.

He wasn't afraid of her reaction, well, he wasn't expecting her to be mad at him. Nick believed that when he told Judy there was someone coming after him instead of questioning why someone would want him dead, like any sane mammal would ask, she would come up with half a dozen plans to find and apprehend whoever was dumb enough to target her fox. And that is what scared him. Just telling her would get her involved, there was no doubting that, but he couldn't not tell her, it was all so inevitable, and he started to sob at the tragedy of it all.

Finally as he began to calm down and the body wracking sobs slowed into quite whimpers he recalled her words from just a few short hours ago: 'The mammal I know you are.' There would be mammals out there who will want him dead, you don't make a name for yourself working for Mr. Big without stepping on a few paws. And while it may be unfair to Judy for him to need her help dealing with his old life, that's what partners do. They are there for each other, especially when it's hard. He took one last breath through his nose, savoring her scent before he set off to work on the bike, he needed something to distract himself with until lunch.

* * *

Nick was driving towards the sandwich shop Judy had said they would be meeting with her two partners. He was both dreading and dying to see her at the same time. He arrived a few minutes before he expected his lunch companions and after he parked his car in a raised garage away from prying eyes he sent a text to his girlfriend, 'hey babe, I'm here, what do you want for lunch?'

She replied in a few seconds, 'We're just a minute or two out. Do you mind ordering for Wolford and Fangmeyer too?'

'Those were the two who showed up during our jog right? No I don't mind.'

He was standing in line when he got the reply, 'Took me a minute to convince them that you'd be okay with buying their lunch.' The rest of the message was their orders and Nick stepped into line. A couple of minutes later he had a tray of sandwiches and one veggie wrap and he made his way over to one of the empty tables and set them down, taking a moment to adjust the seats across from him for the larger mammals who would be joining him. Having nothing to do but sit and wait Nick felt himself break out in a cold sweat from stress. When he spotted a wolf and tiger pair of cops walk in he almost bolted for the back door his old instincts kicking in, but he took a deep breath once he recognized the two of them.

Sure enough, once he calmed down a bit he spotted the bunny officer with them and waved them over. When they got closer he wanted to run over to Judy and scoop her up and just hold on to her for dear life, but he was able to maintain his mask of casual indifference. He hopped out of his seat and said, "Hello Officer Hopps. You're looking well today." Nick was pretty sure that it was pointless to try and hide their relationship from the wolf's nose, but there was no reason to display it to the general public.

Continuing the bit Judy replied, "Thank you Mr. Wilde, I hope you are doing well as well."

He said with absolute sincerity, "Doing better now." he turned to the other two officers, "Do you mind if I borrow Officer Hopps for a minute?"

The two glanced at each other and Fangmeyer responded, "Not at all, just remember, she's on duty." The tiger said that last part with a slight smile.

Judy looked up at her fox with some confusion but didn't voice her questions which Nick appreciated. He grabbed their sandwiches and said, "Come on Carrots, we can eat in my car."

She followed him out to his car and he opened the passengers door for her bowing slightly with a smirk on his muzzle. She tilted her head in thanks and jumped in and took the sandwiches in her paws. He wondered around to the other side of the car and climbed into the driver's seat closing the door behind him. Once he was settled she went to hand him his food but he was lost in thought, staring straight ahead. She placed a paw on his leg and said, "You okay Slick? You seem worried." He looked at her and she saw the misery in his eyes, "Is it Fangmeyer or Wolford? We can eat out here if you don't want to eat with them."

Nick shook his head slightly and said sadly, "No it's not them, they seem great. I… I have something important to tell you."

His tone unnerved her slightly, "Are we okay?" she asked in a quiet voice.

Nick shook his head in surprise, her question breaking though the layers of his sadness instantly. He looks into her eyes and says, "Of course Judy, you are the best thing that ever happened to me. As long as you'll have me we'll always be okay. No the problem is the fact that I'm quickly realizing that I might be the worst thing that's ever happened to you." She didn't respond, instead she sat back and waited for him to continue which he did after a few moments, "Fin called me this morning. He told me he'd heard rumors of Mr. Big planning to finally take me out."

Judy cut him off, "WHAT?! Well I'll call Fru Fru! Get her to straighten this whole thing out!"

She pulled out her cellphone in a flash and Nick placed his paw over the screen, "No, don't. I called Mr. Big this morning and asked him point blank, he said he had no plans to kill me."

Judy was struck with how casual he sounded, until she realized that he wasn't casual, he was emotionless. He was doing what she had done after the first press conference and their fight: he was locking all of his emotions away to keep from falling to pieces. She crawled across the front seats and sat in his lap and hugged him tightly. He returned the gesture shaking slightly, it took her a minute to realize he was crying softly. Judy reached up and started to pet his ears to try and calm him down, "I'm here Nick. Walk me through it, if it isn't Big why are you still worried? Who is coming for my fox?"

"I don't know, could be any one. Fin and I are going to wait for him at a bar to see if we can't get the jump on whoever it may be."

Judy nodded, "Okay that's smart. Determine the time and the place, eliminate as many variables as possible. But you didn't answer my first question, why are you so worried? You are the toughest mammal I know. With you, me, and Fin waiting for whoever is coming we don't have anything to fear."

Nick was devastated to hear how quickly she was willing to throw in with his problems, "That's not why I'm upset Judy. I'm worried that this won't be the last time something like this happens. I wasn't always a hustler, selling pawpsicles to get by." He took a deep breath before continuing, "The skunk rug was not the only interaction with Mr. Big I've had. When I was 15 or so, a few years after my mother passed, I was pulling the rims off a limo that happened to be owned by Mr. Big when one of his polar bears grabbed me, I lashed out and bloodied his nose. Well, that impressed Mr. Big plenty, and once he found out I was homeless and living on the streets he took me in. After a few years I stated to earn my keep, I became an enforcer for the mob."

Judy had always suspected that he had been more than a hustler but let him continue without questioning, "I was the mammal they'd send in if someone in his employ stepped out of line, or someone tried to encroach on his territory. It was a show of power by Mr. Big; everyone knew he had a host of polar bear bodyguards so when he sent one red fox to take care of his problems it was him saying they weren't worth his full attention. Not that I always worked alone, just when the situation called for it."

Judy was afraid of the answer, but she had to ask, "Did you ever kill anyone?"

Nick laughed bitterly, "No, never. Bellwether and her crew got the honor of popping that cherry. He had different mammals he'd send if he thought it'd get that bad. I asked him once why he didn't ever send me on those jobs, he'd just say 'I have a different plan for you Nicky.' every time. You asked me what had me so worried? That is who I am, a two bit criminal who beat the shit out of other scumbags for a paycheck. And now that you know that you'll want nothing to do with me." His arms relaxed letting her go preparing for her leaving him.

Judy, on the other paw didn't let go, she instead said, "Why would I want nothing to do with you? Because you were taken in at a young age when you had no other options? Because you made mistakes in your past? Nick, I said all predators were dangerous on live TV and you took me back without a second thought. I'm not mad or upset that you worked for Mr. Big, I'm just sad that you weren't afforded other options."

Nick was stunned, just like that she accepted the fact that he used to work for the mob, used to beat mammals senseless with his bare paws, and was good at it, without a second thought. He let out a sigh of relief and brought his paws around her again and asked, "How? How can you trust me so easily after all that?" He was shaking again, crying softly as he clung to her as a drowning mammal would cling to a lifesaver.

He could hear the warmth in her voice, "Easy, I love you. Everything else is secondary."

Nick started to laugh through his tears. When he was finally able to get himself under control Nick brought his paws up to her ears and started to stroke them. After a minute Judy said, "So if it isn't Big, who is thinking about hurting my fox?"

Nick turned her around on his lap and grabbed their sandwiches handing the wrap to Judy. As they each took a bite he was struck for a moment at how pedestrian their actions were in contrast to how serious the conversation was, "No idea really. I crossed a number of mammals in the past and any one of them may take exception to the fact I want to join the cops. I think the only reason no one wanted to take a shot before is because it was easier to live and let live. But once I figure out who is behind it I'll be able to dig up enough dirt on them to get them to leave us alone."

Judy shook her head at that, "Sorry Nick, but that's not how this is going to work. If someone wants to go after you then I have a duty to put them behind bars. If you can find info to blackmail them then you can use that same info to lock them up. You'll have to get used to doing things above board from now on I'm afraid."

"But doing things the right way is so much harder. Though I suppose you're right, can't start at the academy with this kind of crap hanging over my head."

Judy swallowed a bite of her wrap and said, "Before we do anything else we should talk to Chief Bogo."

Nick hesitated and said after a moment, "What will we tell him? That I used to work with Mr. Big and now some wronged party from my past is gunning for me as revenge?"

"No, we simply tell him that you heard someone might be coming for you. When he asks why, we simply tell him we're not sure, which is technically not a lie. We'll say it might be over some bad deal in the past."

Nick nodded and took another bite of his own grinder and remained silent. As they were getting close to finishing their food Judy spoke up, "Nick, why did you sell Mr. Big the rug? If he took you in, you worked for him, and it sounds like you respect him even now, why would you do that to him?"

Nick let out a sigh, "I didn't. He asked me to get a rug for his gram-mama's funeral and I did. But the day of the ceremony someone had swapped it out with the skunk butt. I still don't know why Big didn't ice me on the spot, but I think it was something of a parting gift for all the years I worked for him."

Judy was shaking in rage at the thought of someone setting up her fox like that, "Who did it?"

Nick heard the anger in her voice on his behalf but all it did was add another reason to long list of reasons he loved her. He started to pet her ears to calm her down, "I never found out. I did a little digging, but never turned anything up: I had to tread carefully when asking questions as there were a lot of mammals who were less than pleased with my perceived slight of their boss. They were under strict orders to not kill me if they saw me, but someone could always get… overzealous, so I never gave them the chance. After a time I realized I didn't want to find out who did it. Those mammals I worked with were like a family to me, and to know that one of them betrayed me like that… and that Mr. Big thought I _could_ do that to him. I just wanted to forget it all."

His voice was almost cracking as he talked about what had happened, but as he continued it started to become calm once again, "Well, none of that matters at the moment anyway. Mr. Big sounded genuinely confused when I told he the rumors I'd heard so when he says that it's not him I believe him. And that is why Fin and I have setup our little ruse, to find out whoever is behind this and figure out how to get them to leave me alone."

Judy turned around on his lap and said while stroking his cheek softly, "I know this couldn't have been easy for you Nick, hell it was hard to listen to. So, thank you for telling me." She pressed her lips to his trying to convey the love and comfort she felt for her fox in that simple action. When they separated she said, "Okay, we have a plan of action. When you pick me up at 4 we'll talk with the Chief, then we'll set the trap at that bar, arrest whoever shows up, and use them to take down their boss."

Nick looked down at his bunny with surprise, "When you say it like that it almost sounds easy. I still can't believe you accepted all this so easily."

Judy simply took another bite of her wrap and swallowed it down before she answered, "I may have some questions when we have a minute, but for now we have more important matters. Are you going to be okay until 4 by yourself?"

He nodded, "Yeah I should be. I've been checking the cameras around the warehouse and I haven't noticed anything unusual so whoever it is either doesn't want to come after me there, or doesn't know where I live. Both are equally possible."

Part of that caught Judy's attention, "Wait, you have cameras in our home?"

"Huh? Oh, I guess I forgot to mention that, I have one of those security apps. Cameras with mics on the outside of the building, and motion detectors in the warehouse area. Nothing in my actual living quarters, seemed excessive." He pulled out his phone, "Here, I'll give you the login info so you can have access as well."

They finished their sandwiches as he walked her through the basic use of the app. She was glad to know that there weren't any video inside the building, it was their home and the thought of being monitored in there felt wrong somehow. Once the food was gone Nick placed a paw under her chin and kissed her softly once more. They pulled apart after just a moment and Nick slipped on his sunglasses before saying, "Come on Carrots, let's not keep your partners waiting and go back inside."

Judy slipped off his lap and said, "Sure, but they're not my partners, you are. Even though you're not a cop yet I can't picture anyone else as my partner."

Nick stopped in his tracks and Judy turned around to look at him. He reached up a paw and rubbed below his eyes, "You know, I haven't cried in a long time before I met you. I love you Judy."

She walked over to her fox and grabbed his paw squeezing it once, "Dumb fox, you don't need to cry just because you're stuck with me." Nick let out a single laugh and he noticed that her eyes were filled with unshed tears. She was likely as upset as he was, she was probably trying to hold it together for his sake. She continued, "I love you too Nick."

* * *

Fangmeyer and Wolford watched the fox and rabbit pair make their way out of the sandwich shop. They dug into their lunch silently until after a minute the timber wolf spoke, "So, what do you make of those two?"

Fangmeyer took another bite of her food and sighed after swallowing, "She's a grown adult, she can make her own decisions on who she dates."

Wolford chocked on his bite at that comment. When he managed to get his coughing under control he said, "Wait, you actually think they're dating? I just thought that they were… I don't know, having fun?"

The tiger looked at him skeptically, "Really? Come on, you're nose is even better than mine and I smelled what seeing him did to her. There's no way they are just having fun as you so eloquently put it. Besides didn't you see the way he was acting when we responded to their call? Territorial tod to a T."

"Okay, you're right, but that still begs the question: do we trust him with her?"

Fangmeyer took a sip of her soda and asked tiredly, "I hope you're not suggesting he can't be trusted just because he's a fox, are you John?"

Wolford pulled out a pad of paper and said, "No, I'm saying he makes me nervous because I pulled his criminal record. He was a mammal of interest in half a dozen assault cases in the span of about 3 years."

Fangmeyer looked confused at hearing that, "Wait, I entered his info into the computer the other day when we brought in the moose, nothing came up for me, where did you find that?"

"Most of the cases never went anywhere and he was never formally charged, I had to dig just to find _that_. I just think it's a little suspicious don't you Kathy?"

Her eyes narrowed slightly, "I think he's innocent until he's proven guilty John. I also think I trust the judgment of our fellow officer who uncovered two major conspiracies with the help of that fox you find so shifty."

Wolford slid down in his seat and folded his ears back in shame. He found it hard to maintain eye contact as he responded, "You're absolutely right Kathy, I'm sorry."

Just then the pair in question walked back into the sandwich shop and joined the two cops at their table. Wolford caught straightaway that he was now wearing a set of sunglasses indoors which was slightly odd, but he decided that the tod had more than earned the benefit of the doubt and just let it go.

They ate the rest of their food in silence and once they were finished Wolford broke the silence first, "So Nick, what is it that you do for fun?"

The question took the tod by surprise, he was expecting a light interrogation, but the wolf simply seemed politely curious. He cleared his throat and said, "Uh, well I've always enjoyed working on engines. I have a 67 Shelby G.T. 500 that I spent years restoring, love that car. I've also been working on my motorcycle just this morning."

The wolf nodded, "I thought I'd smelled grease and metal, but damn that is one nice car! I've seen some in a few of the classic car shows around town, you'll have to let me take a look sometime."

Nick grinned while Judy rolled her eyes at the tiger mouthing 'guys' before giggling. Nick caught the motion out of the corner of his eye and stuck his tongue out at her before continuing, "It's actually in the parking garage right around the corner, but you three probably have to get going in just a minute."

Wolford checked his watch, "Damn, you're right, some other time then. Well, while we still have our minute, what kinda bike do you ride? I have a Honda Hedgehog myself, but I never get to ride it as much as I'd like."

"Does anyone? But to answer your question I actually have two," Judy perked up thinking she'd get to hear what was under one of the other tarps in the garage area, "a Yamapaw Classic. And the other… is a secret."

Judy poked him in the arm, "Ah you dick! Do you know how curious I am about what's under that tarp? I haven't even asked you once…"

Nick looked smug, "I know and I appreciate that Carrots. Even if you did ask I wouldn't tell you, it's a surprise for you."

"Wait, a surprise to me, or for me."

Nick smiled at his bunny, "For you Fluff. As soon as it's ready I'll show you what's under there, I promise."

Judy acted annoyed, but Nick could still see the slight smile playing on her lips, "Well, I guess if it's a gift for me I'll try to be patient."

The wolf and tiger pair watch the fox and bunny's antics with amusement. Nick continued, "Perfect. It'll be worth the wait I think."

A beeping from Fangmeyer's phone signaled the end of lunch. The tiger slid out of the booth and said, "Well this was a nice lunch, thank you for treating Mr. Wilde."

"Just Wilde is fine as long as I don't have to call you officer."

"Fangmeyer is more than enough for a future colleague."

Wolford said playfully, "And you can call me Wolford as long as you keep paying for my lunches. All jokes aside, thank you for that, I appreciate it."

Judy hesitated before she grabbed her fox before he could step out of the booth as well. She hugged him tightly and said, "I'll see you at 4 right?"

Nick's mood was somber once more, "Yeah, can't wait. Now you should let go before anyone notices Carrots."

She buried her face in the fur on his neck, "Oh let them look. I don't care."

Nick let out a defeated sounding sigh and wrapped his arms around her too, taking solace in their embrace. All too soon Fangmeyer cleared her throat politely, "We really do have to get going Hopps."

Judy shook her head and said, "Cheese and crackers you're right! Sorry Nick got to go."

Nick just chuckled and finished getting out of the booth letting his girlfriend dash after the Wolf who was already walking down the sidewalk. Fangmeyer paused before she said to Nick, "Are your intentions pure Mr. Wilde?"

Nick knew she wasn't trying to be rude and kept that in mind as he replied, "I want Judy to be happy more than I want my next breath. Though I wouldn't say all my intentions are exactly pure."

Fangmeyer narrowed her eyes in suspicion, until she broke out laughing. It took her a moment to compose herself, "Oh Mufasa, she said you were too clever for your own good. Fair enough Wilde, I had to ask. I wasn't good to Judy when she first joined the ZPD and I'm trying to be a better mentor."

The fox nodded, "Perfectly understandable. Besides, I can't be mad at someone trying to look out for my girlfriend. See you around Fangmeyer." Nick made his way out of the building as Fangmeyer ran off to catch up with her fellow officers, the word girlfriend echoing in her ears.

* * *

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Wolford's bike is a reference to a Honda Shadow… I'm not sorry.
> 
> Nick still speaks to Mr. Big with respect but never calls him by his name on the phone in case it's being listened to. Plausible deniability is a hell of a thing.
> 
> Okay next chapter we'll get the Chief's reaction as well as the bar scene. I don't think it'll be as long as this chapter, but who knows at this point...


	18. Turmoil Before the Storm

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> As the final preparations are underway Nick starts getting more and more emotional. He'll need his bunny to keep him centered and focused.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Don't own Zootopia.

Nick parked outside the precinct about 5 minutes after Judy texted his saying she was done for the day. He stepped onto the asphalt and made his way up the stairs and into the building. As he stepped inside he felt the usual sense of unease wash over him, but he didn’t pause as he walked over to the desk officer, a surprisingly portly cheetah, his boots thudding loudly on the tile floor. Nick grabbed one of the nearby chairs and pulled it over to the desk hoping onto the seat to get the officer's attention. The cop in question was currently finishing off a sweet danish and raised a finger signaling to wait a second. Once he swallowed his mouthful of pastry he said, "Hello sir, how can I help you today?"

Nick was pleasantly surprised to hear the truly friendly tone the officer was using and after reading the name plate on the desk said, "Well Officer Clawhauser, I'm looking for Officer Hopps. She should be around here somewhere."

Ben quirked his head slightly in puzzlement, it wasn’t everyday a fox came in asking after a fellow officer, but there was no reason to suspect he had anything nefarious planned so he said, "I saw her headed towards the locker room a few minutes ago. Feel free to take a seat and wait for her, or if you’re in a hurry I can page her for you."

Nick's face lit up, "Oh could you? I'd greatly appreciate it. Just say that Nick Wilde is waiting for her in the lobby."

"Wait, _you're_ Nick Wilde? Oh Em Goodness! I've heard a lot about you after the Missing Mammal Case, well, the few times I could get Judy to talk after the case all she'd do is talk about you. And not to mention the video of you taking on that jaguar with nothing but your bare paws? Whew, that was more than impressive. Oh, I'm rambling again, hold on," Ben reached below the edge of his desk and grabbed the mic, "Officer Hopps? Nick Wilde is waiting for you at the front desk. Officer Hopps, Nick Wilde at the front desk." 

Nick nodded and said, "Thank you Officer Clawhauser."

"Not a problem. So Mr. Wilde…"

Nick cut him off, "Just Wilde is fine, Mr. Wilde is way to formal."

"Then you should call me Ben. Anyway, Wilde, what brings you to see Officer Hopps today?"

"Well Ben, I have plans with her after work. She thought it'd be a good idea to meet up here."

Benjamin lit up at hearing that, "Oh, for a date maybe? A fox and bunny dating would be the cutest thing ever."

Nick barked out a laugh, "No, not quite. Besides calling a bunny cute isn't exactly okay, though I don't know if talking about them dating being cute technically counts, but I wouldn’t risk it, I really wouldn’t want to be on her bad side."

The cheetah let out a small chuckle, "You're not kidding, I heard she knocked out a rhino during her time at the academy. She may be small but she is fierce."

"You're not wrong there." Just then Nick spotted the bunny in question making her way over to the desk, "Ah, there she is now. Thanks for the help Ben." Nick stepped off his chair and said a little louder than he might have needed to, "Speak of the devil and he shall appear, I see the same rings true of angels."

Judy stopped in her tracks and blushed furiously, "Niiick! Come on, not while I'm at work!"

Nick walked over, "Sorry, couldn’t help it, I'll be better in the future."

She was still blushing as she reached him, "Fine. I see you met Clawhauser, I hope he wasn’t too much trouble for you Ben."

Clawhauser was standing at his desk with his jaw hanging open at their little exchange. He finally caught up to what Judy had asked and said, "He's been a delight Judy, and may I say devilishly handsome."

Nick was a little taken aback at the unexpected compliment but Judy took it in stride, "He is isn't he? Now, Ben, can you do us a favor and page the chief? We have something we need to discuss with him."

"Sure, hold on." Clawhauser picked up his phone and pressed one of the speed dial buttons along the side. After a few moments he said, "Hello Sir… I have Hopps and a Nick Wilde, they say they need to speak with you… Alright, thank you sir." He hung up the phone and turned back to the pair, "Okay, he says you can head on up. He sounds like he's in an okay mood, so please don't screw that up."

Judy waved as she led Nick away, "No promises Clawhauser. Have a good one!"

Clawhauser muttered to himself, "You're lucky my day is done as soon as Turk gets here." As they disappeared up the stairs he caught a whiff of their scent and thought, 'Why do they smell like each other? I didn’t catch it on just him, but she practically reeked of him. They _must_ be together. I'll have to ask Fangmeyer and Wolford…'

Judy came to a halt in front of the door suddenly nervous, so Nick reached over her head and knocked on the door lightly, Judy looked up at him and he winked at her trying to remain confident. After a few seconds a booming, "Come in." came from the other side. Judy jumped up and grabbed the handle opening the door easily and the two of them walked into the office. Judy walked over towards the desk and scrambled into one of the empty seats, Nick considered taking the other but if he was honest with himself his nerves were fried and he could use the comfort of his bunny's presence and so he hopped up beside her. She took it as a given and slid next to him so they were pressed up against each other.

Bogo didn’t look up for a long moment as he finished up the paperwork in front of him, but once it was finished he set down his pen and took off his glasses. As he finally looked up at the fox and bunny pair he let out a sigh, "Well this should be good. What is it this time? Please tell me it's something small, I don't think the city can take another massive conspiracy or corrupt mayor."

Judy was hesitant to answer so Nick took the lead, "Well sir I'm happy to say it's nothing that big, it's just that there's a good chance that someone is planning to kill me, and probably tonight."

The chief brought his hoof to his forehead and began stroking it softly, "You haven't even left for the academy and you're already a pain in my hide Wilde. Okay, what do we know?"

Nick took the lead and Judy held his paw to keep him calm, "Well, word on the street was that someone was going to kill me to prevent me from entering the academy. I… I haven't always been a street hustler sir."

Bogo opened a drawer grabbing a folder before dropping it on his desk, "I know that Wilde. You think I didn’t do my research after the missing mammal case? According to the detectives in Organized Crime you used to work for Mr. Big, most likely a high ranking enforcer, until the two of you had a falling out a number of years ago. Since then you've been mostly on your own with small hustles, one or two partners, keeping a low profile. So I have to assume it's someone from your days working for the mob, am I right?"

Nick was stunned into silence, he'd tried to keep things quiet while he'd worked for Mr. Big, but just because the DA didn’t have a case didn’t mean no one knew what he was up to. Judy found her voice, "Yes sir, you're probably right. Nick here heard something about someone planning on killing him from a reliable source. So he spread the word that he'd be at a bar tonight."

"Hmm, controlling the time and location, that's smart Wilde." He sighed deeply and said, "Alright here's what we'll do: we're going to treat this like a sting operation Hopps. We're going to have an unmarked car parked around the corner and you're going to wear a wire Hopps. I'd get one for you as well Wilde, but we don't have the time for the goddamn bureaucratic paperwork for a CI wire."

Nick was feeling overwhelmed but was able to mutter, "Why would you do all this for me?"

Bogo fixed him with a steely gaze and said, "You died 3 times on the way to the hospital, did you know that?" Nick nodded dumbly, "As far as I'm concerned Wilde, your past misdeeds died then and there. From now on you are no longer defined by your past, instead you're mine. You will work long hours and hard cases, all because I know you can. At the end of each day no one will thank you, but you'll keep doing it. And finally after years of thankless service, you'll retire and get a cheep watch as thanks."

Nick took a deep breath before he replied, "Oddly enough, I'm looking forward to it sir. I've gotten a taste of doing the right thing and I think I want to keep it up."

Chief Bogo almost smiled as he said, "Good to hear. Now, once you give me the time and place your expecting your attacker you can go get fitted for your wire Hopps."

* * *

As Nick and Judy made their way out of the police station Judy finally spoke up, "Okay, I've been trying to figure it out and I'm coming up blank, why are you wearing boots? I've never seen you wear footwear before."

Nick smiled at her and said, "Ah my dear Carrots, it's simple: I need these boots when I drive my motorcycle to protect my pads from the asphalt."

Judy jumped in front of him and said, "Wait, you took the bike here?!? It's ready?"

The tod stepped around her and said smugly, "Yes it is. We need to swing by a buddy of mine's shop to get your riding gear, but I have a helmet for you in the meantime. I'm sorry we're not going to be able to take that cruise we wanted, but a short ride is better than no ride right?"

Judy leapt at his back, grabbing her fox around the neck, swinging around till she was pressed against his broad chest giggling madly the whole time. Nick yelped in surprise as he stumbled down a few steps till he managed to catch his balanced. As he opened his muzzle to ask what the hell she was thinking Judy pressed her lips to his kissing the red tod deeply. His paws made their way to her back holding her smaller frame again his body gently. As their lips separated Nick said, "I do not envy the rumor mill you'll be walking into tomorrow."

Judy placed her head against his chest and said, "Doesn't matter, it was worth it." She slipped out of his paws and landed lightly on the stairs saying, "Come on, you owe me a ride."

Nick let the obvious joke slide and led her to his bike.

* * *

Fangmeyer and Wolford watched as Hopps and Wilde kissed tenderly before making their way down the stairs towards the parking spots seemingly without a care in the world. As the fox helped his companion on the motorcycle and started up the engine Wolford spoke up, "I take it all back, that fox is something else. I don't know if he's good for Hopps or not, but he's certainly doing his best."

Fangmeyer considered her partner for a moment before she asked, "What do you mean?"

Wolford pointed to the bike, "He's raised the passenger's seat as well as the foot-pegs for her. Not to mention that exhaust is incredibly quite for that bike, I'd wager good money that he replaced it very recently, especially considering how clean the chrome is on the exhaust. He did all that for her, just so he could share something he enjoys with her."

The tiger wasn’t looking at the motorcycle as it drove off, instead she was watching the wolf. When the bike sped off he noticed Fangmeyer staring at him intently, "What's up?"

Fangmeyer pondered silently for a moment before she said, "What was the name of that coffee shop you've been telling me about?"

The question came out of left field and took him by surprise but after he shook his head he replied, "Uh, The Bluffs Blend. Why?"

"We have Thursday off, you should take me for a cup of coffee in the morning." At that she turned and started walking away.

Wolford's brain took a few moments to catch up, he'd suggested they spend some time socially a few times in the past, but she'd always politely turned him down so he'd stopped asking awhile ago. He wasn’t sure what had changed her mind, but he'd put good money on the fox and bunny duo probably having something to do with it. He finally noticed that she was already halfway down the stairs so he shouted out, "I can't wait for Thursday!" His tail was wagging furiously as his face split into a wide grin. As he started off down the stairs after her he couldn’t help but notice her tail was sashaying back in forth more than usual. He averted his eyes and made his way towards the nearest subway station trying his best to remain calm.

* * *

As Nick was preparing to pull away from the prescient he paused for a moment, the engine was already quietly rumbling but he didn’t have to raise his voice to be heard, "You comfortable back there Carrots?"

Judy was practically vibrating in her seat, "Yes! Serendipity's sake Slick, this is amazing! I can't believe you threw all of this together so quickly."

Nick smiled at her genuinely, "Well the thought of seeing you smile was good motivation. Now, just a quick note, not sure if you've ridden on the back of a motorcycle or not…" she nodded once and he continued, "Okay, then you probably already know to keep your back straight with mine?"

His bunny smiled at him and said, "I sure do. But I think I'll just hold on right here to be safe." She brought her arms around her fox just under his arms so they were holding on to his chest loosely, the side effect being that she was pressed up against his back softly. 

Nick pressed the shifter down with his booted foot and said, "You won't hear me complaining. You ready?"

She squeezed once and said, "Punch it!"

Nick laughed while he brought the reflective silver visor down on his full face helmet before pulling away. Thankfully his bunny was quite small so her raised position didn’t effect the center of gravity too much. He was going to be driving quite conservatively until he was sure he was comfortable with the new setup. 

A few minutes later he pulled back into Tony's for the second time today. He killed the engine and planted his boots before turning halfway in his seat to offer Judy an arm to assist getting down. She didn’t hesitate to hold onto his arm and full on leap off the seat causing her to swing down in an arc. Nick laughed again as she let go and he pulled his leg up and over the bike. The two of them made their way into the shop and before the door closed behind them a voice called out from near the offices, "Wilde! To be graced by you twice in one day, when did I get so lucky?"

Nick laughed and said, "Not sure, but today I'm here because we need some gear for Judy here. Judy, this is an old buddy of mine Tony, Tony this is the girl I told you about this morning." Nick was in full hustler mode trying his very best to smooth Tony's anger to avoid an awkward conversation.

Judy stepped forward offering a paw, "A friend of Nick is a friend of mine. It's nice to meet you Tony."

Nick was curious of what Tony would do, he was positive he wouldn’t get violent, though he was more than capable. He was pleasantly surprised when Tony took her tiny paw in his and shook it briefly, "It's… nice to meet you too." Judy's ears drooped slightly at his tone but she didn’t say anything. At seeing her reaction he grimaced slightly, "Sorry, Nick told me what the two of did _after_ the press conference. It does a lot to make up for what you did in my book." 

Judy smiled sadly and said, "Well, thank you. I think that day is one I'll regret for a long time, but I need to make amends, not just sit around and regret. I look forward to making it up to you and all predators somehow."

Tony cleared his throat and said, "It's the least I can do for the ones who saved Zootopia from tearing itself apart. Now, you're here for some riding gear, so lets get started." 

Tony led them over to the medium mammal racks and started to show off some of the equipment. When he asked what style she was looking for she didn’t hesitate, "Well, I'd like to match my boyfriend, Nick what's your stuff look like?"

Nick was taken aback at how quickly she answered but he said, "Classic black with white highlight stripes, both jacket and chaps."

Judy blurted out without thinking, "You own chaps and you haven't shown them to me yet? And I thought you loved me…"

Nick snorted a laugh but Tony was the one who responded, "I like this one Nick, she's a keeper."

The fox never looked away from his bunny as he said, "That she is Tony, that she is."

With a general guideline of what they were looking for they quickly gathered a few sets together. They moved to an area with a few benches and Judy set about trying them on. She asked Nick and Tony their opinions a few times before making her decision, taking a simple looking jacket with a few interior pockets for foam armor with a matching pair of leather pants, both with the same high-vis white stripes as Nick's. As much as Nick was looking forward to seeing her in a set of chaps her tight body in those even tighter pants was something else, and he said as much, "You missed your calling Carrots, you should have been a biker babe."

Judy was looking at herself in the mirror and turned to her fox, "You really like it?" She thought she looked good, but she was still unused to getting compliments. The bucks back in Bunnyburrow were never impressed with her dream and none of them were interested in the crazy Hopps tomboy. 

"I love it: seeing you dressed like this is giving me all kinds of inappropriate ideas."

Judy looked around briefly and once she saw that no one else in the store was paying any attention to their little group she grabbed Nick's tie and hauled him down to her level kissing him fiercely. When she let go of him Nick was stunned silent and she giggled at the dumbstruck look on his face, "You'll have to explain these ideas to me at some point. I mean, I am just a dumb bunny, but, we are good at multiplying."

Nick coughed in surprise, but no words came to him. Judy patted his cheek lightly and turned back to Tony, "Sorry, I got distracted. Could you show me to the helmets?" The two of them made their way over to the helmet shelves leaving Nick to rebuild the shattered remains of his brain. When he caught up to them they were measuring her head to get the best fit. Judy didn’t acknowledge Nick other than a slight blush and smile before turning back to listen to Tony list of the helmet sizes and styles that would fit her best. She eventually decided on a module helmet with a yellow tinted visor. 

Once she was fully fitted out they made their way over to the register for Tony to ring up the items. Judy's face began to fall as she watched the price keep rising with each item scanned. Nick placed a paw on her shoulder, "It's alright Carrots, I've got this covered."

Judy frowned at him and said, "You can't keep paying for everything Nick; I want this to be a partnership…"

Nick considered her words for a moment before he replied, "Okay, I understand. Just don't bankrupt yourself for this okay?"

She smiled sweetly at him, "I'll be alright, I do have _some_ savings."

Tony finished ringing the items up but before he listed the total Judy noticed the price drop by about 20%. Tony noticed her unsure look and he said simply, "Investor's discount."

Judy turned to the grinning fox, "This is one of the places you invested in?"

"Sure is. It was one of the fastest to repay my investment too, but that's not why I gave him the money."

Once Judy finished paying for her items Nick dropped two small boxes on the counter. They were labeled Bluetooth Headsets, "Would you mind setting these up as well Tony?" Nick asked.

Tony finished the second transaction saying, "Sure, I'll get one of my guys to do it while we step into my office."

Judy looked at Nick questioningly but his good mood seemed to have dried up so she didn’t ask, instead she followed them back to his office. Tony closed the door and blinds before he opened up a tall storage closet pulling a few items out, "You didn’t give me a lot of time Nick, 4 hours? Come on, that's not enough."

Nick stood by the door, "Sure if you were anyone else it wouldn’t be enough time, but I knew you’d get it done."

Judy was quite confused at this interaction, "Okay, what am I missing? Get what done?"

Tony showed off one of the items, it looked a lot like her police stab vest, but slightly bulkier and much longer to cover more of her stomach. The tiger pulled some of the Velcro apart and said, "Try it on, should be a good fit. You can wear it under your clothes as long as it's a little baggy. The plate locations should allow almost full mobility."

Judy glanced back at Nick who smiled at her, "That vest the ZPD issued you with is a joke, this is serious protection. Once lunch was over I called Tony to make sure he could get one in time, I won't try and dissuade you from coming tonight, that would be an exercise in futility if there ever was one, but I will make sure you're as safe as possible."

She took a step towards the vest but paused a question clearly on her mind. Tony looked at the vest then back to her seemingly understanding the unasked question, "Ah, no Officer Hopps, I'm not an arms dealer. I know a few mammals who can get this kinda gear, but no weapons. My wife would be quite unhappy if I ended up in trouble with the law."

Judy grabbed the vest and slipped it on, Nick stepped forward and helped adjust the straps making sure if fit correctly. Once it was on and secured Judy said, "I'm sorry Tony, it's not that I don't trust you, cause I do. But I _am_ a cop."

Tony waved his hand dismissively, "I fully understand."

As Judy twisted and bent in different ways to test the feel Nick spoke up, "Say Tony, how is Sasha anyway?"

Tony grabbed a picture frame and turned it to show the other two mammals. The picture was of him standing with his arm around a bangle tiger both of them ginning wildly, "She is great. Did I tell you she pregnant?"

Nick laughed, "No you didn’t! What is this your 3rd kit? Congratulations Tony."

Tony laughed from deep within his belly, "That's right, number 3. Stacy and Steve are excited for another little brother or sister. Of course they both want to know why they haven't seen their uncle Nick in a while."

Nick smiled guiltily, "Sorry about that, I'll make time as soon as I can and come over for dinner."

"We'd like that Nick. Now, Judy, how does it fit?"

Judy rolled her shoulders one final time and said, "Yeah, it fits perfectly. Thank you both, this is great."

Nick dropped to one knee to check over the fit once again, "And think, when you're not wearing it to clean up your boyfriends dirty past you can wear it on the job at the ZPD." He was joking, but she could hear the pain in his voice.

Judy placed a paw on his cheek, trying to convey the love and comfort she felt for him into that simple action. Nick closed his eyes relishing her touch for a moment before he grabbed her paw and kissed it softly. After he stood up Judy turned back to Tony, "Okay, what else do you have there? I saw you pull something else from the cabinet."

Tony grabbed the other items, "These are replacement plates for Nick's vest. Wether or not they are worn vests do expire and require proper maintaining." 

Judy nodded before Nick picked them up and said, "Thanks again Tony, I appreciate the help."

Tony smiled grimly, "For you Nick, anything. If you need _anything else_."

Nick reached out a paw, "You'll be the first to know." Tony grabbed the offered paw and shook it once.

Judy stepped beside her fox and offered her own paw again, "I have to thank you as well Tony. You've been beyond helpful, despite what I've done."

Tony shook her paw as well, "If you can look beyond Nick's past, then I suppose I can do the same for you. You really do love him don't you?"

Judy took Nick's paw in her own, "I sure do. I just wish he wasn’t so damned ugly."

Nick's ears splayed flat and he narrowed his eyes, "I happen to know that you find me very foxy indeed Carrots."

Tony offered them a small duffle bag for the armor and said with a laugh, "Eh, when you smarten up Judy and leave this fool, I'll side with you. He's a dull cynic, but you seem like you'll be fun to have around."

Nick took the duffle bag and said, "I didn’t realize it was National Gang Up on Nick Day. You two are hilarious, you should form a comedy duo."

Judy hopped up and pecked his cheek once, "Sorry Sweetheart."

Nick smiled at her warmly, "It's alright Carrots. I'll find a way to forgive you somehow. You're lucky I can't stay mad at you."

"Am I lucky? Yes, yes I am. Now come on Slick, we may not be able to go for a full ride, but we can still take the long way home right?"

"We absolutely can. Now come on, let's get out of here."

They picked up their helmets and made their way out of the building back to the bike. Nick strapped the duffle back onto a small rack above the rear tire and Judy said with her paw on the bag, "This is serious isn't it Nick?"

Nick's shoulders slumped, "Yeah, it probably is… Fin heard it was Big who ordered the hit, but Big denied everything. That leaves two options; One: Mr. Big lied to me. I don't think he did, but it's possible. He's a dangerous mammal and I'd hate to be on his hit list. Option two: some mammal is bold enough to use Big's name to their advantage… that actually scares me more. If they are they are stupid, and a stupid mammal is more dangerous than an angry mammal, every time."

Judy took his paw in hers and said, "Then we'll have to be smart, which we are. Thank you Nick for not trying to talk me out of helping you." 

She let go and scrambled up to her seat. Nick took a moment to take in the sight, "Have I ever told you just how beautiful you are?"

Judy closed her helmet and said through the headset, "Yes, but I could stand to hear it more often."

Nick lifted his leg over his seat and started the engine, "Then I shall say it more often my beautiful bunny." Judy sighed in contentment and wrapped her arms around his chest again as he pulled away from the parking spot.

* * *

Fin sat at the bar nursing his beer while an older opossum behind the counter cleaned another glass. Fin slammed his glass down on the bar and shouted, "Damnit Maggie, are you gonna help us or not?"

Maggie face was lined with wrinkles and all Fin's tone accomplished was to deepen the wrinkles present on her brow as she frowned at him. She set her glass down gently and said in a sweet tone that was at odds with her firm demeaner, "Why is it whenever the two of you fuck something up you like to clean it up in my place of business? I run a bar, not a fight ring."

Fin let out a breath and tried to remain calm as he said, "Maggie, you know that we hate to do this to you."

"And yet you keep doing it."

"yeah, we do. If it makes you feel better, this probably doesn’t have anything to do with a hustle gone wrong."

Maggie poured herself a beer from the tap and said, "Really? Well let's hear it then; what _is_ it about?"

Fin took a sip, "Nick going legit. He's been a party to a lot of shady shit over the years, some mammals might be more comfortable if he would just disappear."

Maggie realized that her glass was suspended halfway between the bar and her lips and set it back down slightly stunned. "He's going legit? What does that mean exactly?"

"I'll let him explain that to you himself later. So, I guess you'd better make sure you see him later."

The opossum did not look overly pleased. She finished her beer in one go and said, "Fine, you can use the bar. But only because I know you've probably already started spreading the rumors you’d be here tonight anyway."

Fin grinned at her, "You know me too well Maggie. But seriously, you're a peach."

Maggie grumbled and stomped off, muttering something about needed to replace one of the kegs. As the door to the basement closed behind her she stopped and thought to herself, 'Some mammals are born for the life of crime, and others adapt to it. Nick, you were always the latter. I wonder what Fin means by going legit? Oh Nicky, I hope you can leave all this bullshit behind.'

* * *

While Fin was negotiating a location for their little trap Nick was sitting with Judy at the island in the kitchen. He was humming quietly to himself while he checked over his own armored vest. Judy was watching him in stunned silence; the vest was covered in patches, but there was plenty of original material left, it's just that all the original material was basically in tatters. She spotted what she thought were knife cuts, claw marks and there smack dab in the center of the chest, "Nick! Is that a bullet hole?!?!"

Nick paused in his inspection to look at the mark she was indicating, "Yup." and continued with his work.

She waited for him to elaborate, but quickly realized that's all the information he was going to volunteer. She placed a paw on his arm, "Can you tell me about it?" Her tod placed the last armor plate in its pouch, closed his eyes, and sighed heavily. She said quickly, "You don't have to if you don't want to!"

He put the vest down and said, "No, I want to tell you, it's just… it was a painful time Carrots." 

Judy nodded and took his paw leading him off towards the living room. She hopped up on the couch first and said, "Lay down." and patted her lap invitingly.

Nick smiled at her and stretched out on the couch setting his head on Judy's lap laying on his side facing out to the rest of the room. Judy started to scratch his ears and under his chin. He shifted slightly under her attention pushing further into her lap. After a minute of her touch he felt relaxed enough and started talking, "Fru Fru used to have a brother, Paul. Did you know that? He was involved in the family business unlike his sister. But like all sons he though he knew better than his father and though Mr. Big had a very strict policy about not dealing drugs his son thought if he could make enough money he could convince his father that drugs were the future."

"Well it didn’t take long for him to start using getting high on his own supply, which any dealer will tell you is a bad idea. He started getting sloppy, making bad deals, and occasionally robbing his own suppliers. Well, they didn’t take to kindly to that as I'm sure you can imagine and one of his big purchases was actually a trap and he was killed in the ensuing shootout. After that Mr. Big had a major crackdown on known dealers in Tundra Town. Most of the dealers were smart enough to get out of town, but not everyone. A group of snowshoe hares in particular were adamant about not leaving when I asked them nicely."

Judy laughed at his little joke and he continued on, "I knew Paul pretty well growing up in the Big manor, but we grew apart. He started turning so sour and bitter, even before the drugs that I tended to avoid him if I could help it. But that doesn’t make his loss any less tragic, he could have been a great don, and instead he became a two bit drug pusher who died in a ditch for a buck."

Judy noticed the respect in his tone, the reverence in his voice as he spoke of the Big family and asked, "Do you _miss_ working for them Nick?"

Nick turned so he was on his back so he could look his beautiful bunny in her eyes and said, "No, not working for them. I do miss the sense of family I got _while_ working for them, but being tossed out as easily as I was, clearly that feeling was one sided. I never thought I'd let someone else in until you dropped into my life."

Judy leaned over and kissed him softly. He responded by twisting to grab her by the waist, lifting her up and laying her down on top of himself, never breaking the kiss. He wrapped his arms around her so tight it almost hurt, but she simply opened her mouth to allow his tongue access, causing him to let out a desperate moan. As his claws were beginning to toy with the edge of her shirt his phone starting to ring with Fin's personal ringtone. Nick let out a frustrated growl, but after a moment broke off the kiss with a quick, "Sorry." to his girlfriend before he answered the infernal device.

"Hey Fin… Yeah, that's where I expected… She already have the DVD ready? Great… Yeah, I'll see you soon." He hung up and said, "Fin will be here in about an hour. We're headed to Maggie's, a pretty rough bar, but we know the owner so she let's us use the security room to keep tabs on the comings and goings of her guests, see if we can't get the jump on 'em. This is as good as time as any if you want to change your mind Judy. I wouldn’t blame you if you wanted to sit this one out…"

Judy was hurt that he even considered that she would leave him to do this on his own like that. She sat up fully prepared to yell at him for being so dumb, until she saw the pain in his eyes. He had been betrayed by a lot of mammals over the years, and while she knew he didn’t her to do them same, just the thought of her turning her back on him scared him to his core. She booped his nose once and laid down on his chest saying, "Dumb fox. We have some time, so try and get some rest before Fin takes _us_ to Maggie's."

Nick swallowed once and wrapped her back up in a hug before closing his eyes. The last thing he remembered thinking was, 'I bet even walking into hell would feel like heaven if Judy was with me, and I can't think of a devil strong enough to keep her away.'

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> All leather is made out of synthetic material, cause that'd be really fucked up. Motorcycle armor is designed to absorb impacts and keep your spine straight, not stopping knives and bullets, that's why is usually made from firm foam, instead of metal and kevlar.


	19. The Trap's Set

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> With the trap set and the bait in place, who's going to step in?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry this one's a day late. I finished writing it yesterday but I wanted to wait a day before starting the proof reading.

Nick and Fin sat at a table close to the edge of the room. They were in the throws of a heated exchange, including raised voices and the occasional banging on their table much to Maggie's vocal disapproval. Nick's phone buzzed and he saw it was a text from Judy who was in the manager's officer monitoring the closed circuit cameras. The message simply read, 'I hate all this waiting!!! at least YOU get to have a beer while you wait.' Nick smiled for the camera he knew was pointed to his table and stuck out his tongue slightly. He shot back his own message, 'Get used to it Sweetheart. Our mammal may not even show up tonight.' Her reply came a moment later, 'I know… just keep your eyes open Slick. <3' Nick felt warmth spread through his chest from such a simple message and sent, 'I will <3'

Fin's voice cut through the noise of the bar, "Stop your goddamn wagging, idiot. We're not having a good time remember?"

Nick was unaware of his tail swishing back and forth until Fin mentioned it, and after a moment of concentration was able to stop its movements. He looked back at his friend guiltily and said, "Sorry, didn’t even notice."

Fin finished off his drink with a glower before saying, "You need to stay focused Wilde, that bunny's nothing but trouble if you ask me." Nick's face immediately darkened and he went to yell at the smaller fox but Fin spoke first, "That's a better look Wilde." 

Nick caught the smug look and realized that Fin's little comment was nothing but a setup to wipe his dopy grin off his face. Nick stood up and muttered, "I'm getting another drink."

Fin said, "Get me one too! And make sure it has some balls this time." Whenever the two of them laid traps like this they got most of their drinks pretty watered down. This little piece of theater meant anyone watching them would see them slamming back drinks with abandon and therefore, hopefully, underestimate them when the confrontation came. Course one or two stiff drinks wouldn’t hurt, especially Fin who tolerance was, pound for pound, much higher than Nick's. That, and he brought almost no technique to the fights he was involved it, instead choosing to overwhelm his victims with force and ferocity… and a bat. 

Nick stepped up to the bar and waved Maggie down after she finished serving one of the other patrons. She walked over and asked, "Two more?"

Nick slid a few dollars across the counter and said, "Yeah, one light beer for me and a full bodied one for my buddy." 

Maggie nodded and poured the beers for him, if he wasn't looking for it he wouldn't have noticed her adding a healthy amount of water to his. As he picked up the two glasses Maggie said, "You're still paying full price you know."

Nick said, "I know. And don't worry, there'll be a healthy tip as always." Maggie just nodded before turning away to resume her work. Nick walked back to his table and set Fin's drink down before taking a sip of his own. He settled into his chair and the two ex-partners resumed their heated discussion. 

* * *

A few hours later as Fin was yelling "AND ANOTHER THING" for what felt like the hundredth time Nick's phone buzzed in his pocket. He pulled the device out and saw it was a text from Judy 'One of Big's henchmammals is in the back of he alley'

With the message was a picture of a monitor displaying a polar bear in a track suit. Nick studied it for a moment before he replied, 'Looks like Raymond to me. Mr. Big must have sent him as backup. I'll go tell him to beat it before he scares away our target.' 

Judy took a long time to reply and her message simply said, 'Are you sure you can trust them?' 

Nick smiled reassuringly for the camera and sent, 'I trust Raymond even more than Mr. Big. He was the second best enforcer Big had on payroll and we worked together regularly. I'd bet the only reason he didn’t let me walk when he found us in the limo was Keven was there, and I was with a cop.' 

'Well, if you're sure just be careful, and don't forget the signal if you get suspicious.' Nick exaggeratedly picked his teeth with a claw causing Fin to perk up, Nick shook his head slightly and Fin relaxed muttering to himself, "Pretty stupid signal anyway."

Nick smiled at his companion, "Sorry Fin, she likes my teeth and claws so it's what she came up with. Listen, Raymond is out back, I'm gonna tell him to get the fuck out of here before he blows our cover."

Fin sat silently for a time before he answered, "Alright, you trust Mr. Big and I know Raymond was like a brother to you while you were in the family so nothing I say will stop you from going out there. So just… be careful fox."

Nick stood up and stumbled across the room till he came to the emergency exit door pushing it open with a rough shove. He stepped out into the cool night air letting the door close behind him as he let the drunk act slip off. He turned to the back of the alleyway, away from the light of the streets and spotted his old friend. He tried to keep his face neutral but the corners of his mouth kept pulling upwards in a slight smile as he started walking over. Other than during the Missing Mammals and Night Howler cases he hadn't seen Raymond in years. 

Raymond spoke first and Nick was surprised at how serious the polar bear sounded, "Wilde." Nick stopped in his tracks a few paces away at the tone, he couldn’t put a paw on it, but something was off with Raymond.

Nick tried to ignore the feeling of unease and said, "Hey Raymond, it's good to see you again, but you need to get out of here. I'm sure Mr. Big already told you, but someone's after my head if the word on the street can be trusted. If whoever it is sees you hanging around back here they might get spooked off and I'd rather nip this in the bud as soon as I can."

Raymond studied the fox with no trace of emotion playing across his face for a long moment before he spoke again, "I did know that someone was after your life, but Mr. Big wasn’t the one to tell me."

"What-"

The bear spoke right over him, "Did you know Mr. Big was planning on making you the successor to Family business? With Paul gone he thought you’d make the best choice. YOU! You were just some street fox he picked up cause he pitied you. I was born into the family! My father worked as the head enforcer with Big's father just as I do with Mr. Big himself. I should have been named heir! I needed him to see that you couldn’t be trusted, that you were nothing more than just a fox."

"What are you saying?" Nick's voice was small and laced with fear. But even as he asked the question, he already knew the answer.

The bear grinned without humor and said his voice dripping with malice, "I knew you would never betray him, and he would forgive any small slight I'd be able to manufacture. But then gram-mama died and after I swapped out the rugs it was like you spit right in his face, and at a time where his emotions were raw already. He was supposed to ice you on the spot, but something in him couldn’t go through with it, instead he kicked you out of the family." Nick hadn't even noticed him approaching, but now Raymond was only a step or two away as he continued speaking, "I thought you'd either die on the street or you'd join up with some smaller family and I'd get to take care of you myself when our paths crossed. Instead you kept your head down and to kept to yourself."

The bear was looming right on top of him and Nick was shacking in place, unable to look up at the imposing figure. Raymond spoke on, "I would have left it at that, a fox knowing his place wasn’t as good as a dead upstart, but it was good enough. Then, you had to go and get the bright idea of joining the cops, and I bet all the info you have on the Family would make for a nice bargaining chip wouldn’t it? In case you get caught abusing your authority."

Nick finally responded, the venom dripping from every syllable "They were my family, and you took them from me… You were my brother, I fought for you, **I bleed for you, I WOULD HAVE DIED FOR YOU!** And all of that meant nothing?"

"Da Wilde, nothing." 

Nick's trembling finally stopped and as he leapt towards the larger mammals throat screaming out, "I'll kill you!"

Raymond was more than prepared for this, he knew that his best chance of beating Nick would be to get him emotional, and he caught the souring fox by the neck in one paw effortlessly before tossing him back to the ground roughly. As Nick climbed back to his feet he saw Raymond flick his right paw once and only because he'd seen the same maneuver hundreds of times before was able to bring his arms up in time to block the knife that Raymond now held from slitting his throat. The blade bit into the flesh of Nick's left forearm though the fox barely felt it, but before he lowered his paws Raymond's foot connected with his chest and sent him flying. The armored vest took the brunt of the blow, but when he connected with the wall behind him the loud popping sound he let out a groan as he felt his left shoulder slip out of its socket. He slid down the wall to land in a pile of trash in a crumpled heap.

As he sat there in the trash his head swimming from the pain Nick started to realize he'd walked right into Raymond's trap. He came out here alone, he let his emotions get the better of him, forgotten about the signal, and he'd even left the brass knuckles in his pocket. No doubt Judy had seen the altercation on the camera, but it was unlikely she'd make it out here before Raymond finished him off.

* * *

Judy wished she could hear what the two mammals in the alley were talking about, but the cameras Maggie had in and around the bar had no audio setup. She felt unease creep up her spine as she noticed her fox tense up. As Raymond started making his way over towards Nick who just stood there shaking she knew it was time to move signal from Nick or not. As she jumped from the chair she yelled into the mic under her shirt, "This is Officer Hopps, observation unit move in! Side alleyway of Maggie's Bar. Suspect is a male polar bear wearing a dark track suit." as she burst from the office she yelled to Finnick, "Fin, Nick's in trouble!" Fin wasn’t at the table anymore, instead he was sitting at the bar, and at hearing the near panic in her voice he climbed onto the bar itself and reached down grabbing ahold of the bat he'd stashed their earlier before chasing after the bunny. 

The two of them emerged from the building at a full sprint just as Nick was sliding down the wall. Judy cried out, "Raymond! Drop the knife and get down on the ground, you are under arrest!" and sprinted towards the polar bear. Nick's eyes opened slowly as he heard his bunny call out and he lolled his head to the side weakly to see her and Fin running to his aid. Maybe Raymond had taken away the flimsy family he once had, but these two mammals were closer to his heart than anyone had ever been since his mother's passing. As Raymond turned to face the other two mammals Nick slowly pulled himself back onto his feet and slipped the knuckle duster onto his still good arm.

Nick knew neither one of the two mammals running to save him would be a match for Raymond, hell in his current state he was the worst off, but the three of them together could be more than a match. He pulled his metal reinforced paw back and brought it crashing down onto one of Raymond's toes causing the bear to let out a deafening roar of pain, his eyes screwing shut in a grimace. Judy spotted her opening and dashed past the distracted bear with Fin just a few steps behind. The tiny fox brought his bat back in a double handed grip and swung it full force into Raymond's kneecap. As the bear's legs began to give out Judy jumped up and kicked off a nearby dumpster behind Raymond to get enough height. She flew through the air half flipping once to drive both her feet into the back of the bear's head causing him to fall forward heavily. As he was plummeting the last thing Raymond saw was Nick standing there with his paw, glinting slightly as the street lights played off the brass, streaking towards his face, then, nothing.

Once Nick was sure Raymond wasn’t going to be getting up immediately he sat down heavily letting out a tired sounding groan. Judy ran over to him to check him over, "Nick, are you okay? Shit you're bleeding! Let me take a look."

Nick shook his head, "I'm fine Carrots, first things first: you need to go back inside and get your cuffs to secure the suspect."

Judy smiled at him, though the concern in her eyes never wavered, and she lifted her shirt slightly revealing a large pair of cuffs tucked into her belt. She kissed his forehead and said, "You're right, I'll go cuff him right now. Fin, can you take a look at him for me?"

Fin simply grunted once and walked over to Nick as Judy began struggling with the massive mammal's arms. Fin grabbed Nick's left arm with both paws and said, "This is going to hurt." Nick nodded once and Fin lifted the arm up before pulling it forward until it snapped back into it's socket with an audible pop. 

Nick groaned slightly before he said, "Thanks Fin." Fin just grunted again and pulled out a pack of cigarettes lighting one up and taking a long slow drag. Nick tore off the shirt sleeve that was already covered in blood and began tearing it into several shreds before using them to wrap a small red kerchief to the still bleeding gash on his forearm. He pulled the impromptu wrappings tight before tying it off using his free paw and teeth. 

As he was finishing the bandage Judy walked over and grabbed his arm gently looking over the work, "I could have done that you know…"

Nick cupped her cheek with his good paw and said, "Sorry, force of habit Carrots: Fin and I always had to patch ourselves up when things went sideways. How'd I do?"

Judy smiled at her fox and said, "Well the bandage looks good, but judging from the size of your bandage and the amount of blood seeping through we'll need to go to the hospital and get you some stitches."

Nick's face fell slightly, "Stitches yes, hospital no. None of the hospitals around here are overly fox friendly. Don't worry, I have everything we'll need back home." 

Judy didn’t seem happy about that answer, but she didn’t press further, "Nick are you okay? I know you're physically hurt, but to know that Mr. Bi-" Nick's paw shot up with one figure raised. 

He tapped his ear once and mouthed 'wire' before he said casually, "Yeah I'm fine Carrots, nothing some rest and relaxation can't solve."

Judy didn't question why he didn’t want to talk with the wire on, but instead said, "Well we'll get out of here in just a few minutes. Just as soon as the observation unit arrives we can hand over Raymond and the evidence and then we can go home."

Nick's smile was genuine as he said, "Karma help me that sounds good. I need a bath and a good night's sleep badly."

Just then an unmarked car with blue and red flashing lights parked at the top of the alley with a screech of rubber and out stepped a grizzled looking rhino. He moved faster than any one would have expected with an enormous handgun drawn but he came to a halt when he noticed the scene before him. There was a small fennec fox smoking a cigarette holding a bat, a red fox still dripping blood from a freshly wrapped bandage, a bunny currently standing with the injured fox, and finally an unconscious polar bear laying face down in the alleyway with a pair of cuffs on his wrists. To say he was stunned would be an understatement. 

As he was busying himself with stowing his firearm Judy spoke up, "Good to meet you Detective Vlad. We have the suspect for the attempted murder of Nick Wilde subdued and restrained, but he has not be read his rights yet. We have the whole thing on camera" she pointed to the small camera on the side of the building, "and the recording is inside." 

Vlad beamed at the little officer and said, "Outstanding work Officer Hopps! Now, are you all right Mr. Wilde? It looks like you've been injured."

"Uh, yeah… I'll be okay. He managed to slice me with his knife" he pointed to the blade that Judy must have kicked away when he was busy taking care of his arm, "but thankfully Officer Hopps was able to intervene before things got too dicey. She's my hero, you know that?"

The rhino let out a slight chuckle at that and said, "I'll be sure to include it in my notes. Now, who do we have here?" As he made his way over to the bear he pulled out his radio and called for an ambulance. As the response confirming the details sounded over his radio he rolled the polar bear onto his side and let out a low whistle, "You have some powerful enemies Nicholas Piberius Wilde. A right shame that your former family would be coming after you like this." Nick barely managed to keep his expression from shifting as Vlad continued, "Well, I suppose former is the operative word there isn't it? I doubt we'll be able to get anything to stick to his boss, but this will still be a fine blow to his organization. Now, Hopps, could you please get the recording for me? I'm afraid I'm a bit large for this particular bar. I'll get our suspect into an ambulance and then you can head on out. I'll need your full detailed report first thing tomorrow. Normally I'd ask for it tonight, but your friend here should get that arm looked at."

Judy nodded once and said, "Yes sir detective." She looked at Nick who nodded once to signal he would be okay before she set off inside to get the DVD of the incident. 

Once she was gone Detective Vlad turned to the two remaining foxes who braced themselves for whatever would come next. What came out of his mouth surprised them both, "Well done you two." and then he set about checking over the still unconscious Raymond.

Nick was flabbergasted and said, "That's it? You've obviously seen my file and all you have to say is well done?"

The rhino didn’t even look up as he replied, "Son, I've been working in the organized crime division for more than 20 years, I _wrote_ most of your file. I know what you got up to in the past, I know that once you were thrown out of the family you've kept your snout clean, I know that you were instrumental in the Night Howler Case, and I know that you plan on joining the Police Academy very soon. In short, I know all I need and all I care to know about you Mr. Wilde. Just know that I'm looking forward to see what else you are capable of once you're a fully fledged officer of the law." The detective stood up and turned to face Nick his face suddenly turning hard and his voice deadly quiet, "Just know that I'll have my eye on you Mr. Wilde."

Nick stood up as well, a mostly pointless gesture as he didn’t even come up to the rhino's waist and said, "I'd be disappointed if you didn’t detective." The two of them maintained eye contact until they simultaneously broke out in laughter. 

They were still laughing as Judy stepped back into the alley. She paused for a moment before walking right up to her fellow officer and said, "Uh, here you go Detective Vlad." offering up the disk as well as the wire she had been wearing.

Vlad took the offered items and said, "Thank you very much Officer Hopps."

Judy stepped next to Nick and passed him a small stack of clean towels and wrapped his bandage in one to help soak up the blood that was still dripping. Once she was satisfied it was secure she wrapped her arm around his waist offering him support and said, "If you're all set with us then, could we get going?"

The rhino nodded, "Of course, I have things covered here. The ambulance should be here soon enough and you three have had a long day."

Nick said, "Thank you detective."

Judy spoke up as well, "I'll be sure to get you that report soon sir." 

As they walked away the rhino said, "First thing in the morning officer, get some rest tonight."

As the three of them got nearer Fin's van the small fox barked out, "You two can ride in the back, the bed should be a more comfortable ride. Just make sure you bleed on those towels and not my good sheets."

Nick just said, "Thanks Fin."

Judy opened the rear door for him and Nick went to hop up in but he accidentally jostled his left shoulder forcing a groan from his lips. Judy leapt up beside him wrapping her arm around his waist again to help him into the back of the van before closing the door behind them. As the machine rumbled to life Judy sat down on the bed and said quietly, "Come here slick." indicating her lap. He finally fully relaxed for the first time all day and as he set his head down on the offered lap. As she began stroking his ears he started sobbing quietly.

She pressed her forehead to his and said softly, "I'm so sorry Nick. I wanted to trust Mr. Big too…"

Nick stopped crying and said, "That's just it Judy, it wasn’t Mr. Big, Raymond was operating on his own."

"Are you sure he wasn’t just saying that to protect his boss?"

Nick pulled out his cell phone and stopped the audio recording that he'd started before stepping out of the bar, "Positive, and I have the recording to prove it. He was like a brother to me Judy, and he hated me just because I'm a fox."

Judy kept petting his ears and said, "Well Nick I love you, fox and all."

Nick smiled through the tears still falling from his eyes, "I love you too Judy." She started to hum softly as he closed his eyes and let out a sigh of relief. 

Fin considered turning up the music to drown out the two saps in the back of his van but decided to let them have their peace and quiet. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, Nick was betrayed by one of his oldest friends, and while he was able to keep it under wraps for a time it seems to have effected him deeply.
> 
> I'd also like to thank everyone following the story and those who've been leaving reviews. I love you all! 3


	20. Putting the Pieces Back Together

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Judy learns a bit more about first aid while patching up her fox's arm who learns to rely on her more.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Number 1: I do not own Zootopia, sorry for forgetting to say that more often Disney... who I assume are reading.
> 
> Number 2: Thank you for taking to time to read!

The van came to a halt outside of the warehouse and the rear doors popped open reveling the bunny and fox who were riding in the back. The bunny looked concerned but the fox looked awful: his eyes were red as was the bandage on one of his forearms. The bunny hopped down first and offered a hand to the fox who took it gratefully after a moments hesitation. After he landed on the ground he placed his good paw on her shoulder as she wrapped her arm around his waist and the two of them made their way to the front of the van. As they got even with the driver's window he rolled it down but remained silent.

Judy was the first to break the tension, "Thank you again Fin. Would you like to come in for a minute?"

Fin was taken aback and said, "Uh, no, I'm good."

Nick raised his muzzle and said, "Thanks Fin, I'm glad we were able to take care of this. Next time we get together I hope it can be under better circumstances."

Fin nodded once and began to roll up his window as Judy and Nick resumed walking. As they got closer to the door to the warehouse Fin leaned out of his window and said, "Hey! You're going to fire up the grill this weekend! You take care of the food, I'll bring the booze."

Nick chuckled and nodded, turning his head to say, "Looking forward to it buddy." As they he and Judy opened the door they heard the van pull away.

When they got to the living room Judy asked, "Okay Slick, what's the plan?"

Nick straightened his back and said, "If you go into the closet at the end of the hall there's a red duffle bag, it's my first aid kit. While you grab that I'm going to get some ice for my shoulder."

She stepped away and asked, "You're going to okay while I'm gone?"

Nick quickly bent down and picked her up with his one good arm, lifting her so she was at eye level with him, "Down but not out Carrots." Judy laughed at him before she brought her arms around his neck pulling him into a kiss. Nick let out a small groan of desire as he deepened the kiss, thrusting his tongue into her mouth, tasting his bunny. Judy's paws gripped his fur almost painfully, deepening the kiss again.

When they finally pulled apart Nick noticed her eyes were threatening to shed tears and he said concerned, "Judy! Hey, what's wrong?"

The bunny in his arms broke down and said, "When I ran out of the bar and saw you there with him looming above you and the blood on his blade? I was so scared! What if something had happened to you Nick? I don't know what I would have done if…" She started sobbing in his arm and just buried her face in his chest.

Nick didn't mind and set his head on top of hers. She quieted after not too long and Nick said, "I know Judy, I know exactly what you mean. When I saw that psyco sheep holding you by the ears… well I couldn't allow that."

She looked at him sadly and said, "Is that what made you decide to take the Night Howler yourself?"

Nick took a second before he replied, "Only partly. Bellwether said if I gave her the serum she'd let you go, but even if I believed her I knew you would never forgive me for letting an evil piece of shit like her going free. Hell, I wouldn't have forgiven myself. Regardless, I couldn't imagine explaining to you how I let her go."

Judy grabbed his face with both paws and said fiercely, "Nick, I will always forgive you, not that I would have even been upset. That whole situation was fucked, no two ways about it. Besides, after you forgave me just a few feet from here? Forget it; I was too head over tail about you to stay mad."

Nick smiled at her and squeezed the tail in question once eliciting a gasp from her. Before he could think of something clever to say she pulled him back in for another kiss which he groaned into appreciatively. When he tried to bring his other paw up to stroke her face he gasped out in pain causing Judy to pull away from his lips. After he took a breath Nick said, "Sorry, forgot I dislocated my shoulder."

She booped him once on the end of his nose and said, "It's a good thing you're hot, cause you're not too bright sometimes." She then slipped out of his paw, "Go get your ice Slick. I'll meet you in the bathroom?"

Nick nodded, "Yeah, we'll need the sink." At that she made her way off down the hallway while he walked over to his fridge. He opened the freezer and after looking around for a moment grabbed a bag of peas placing on his shoulder gingerly. As he let out a sigh of contentment he thought to himself, 'Why did I even have these? I don't like peas, and I've had this bag for at least 6 months so it wasn't Judy… Whatever, they'll make a fine ice pack.'

As he was getting his ice Judy was busy digging through the closet looking for the first aid kit. She finally found it buried in the back and as she was tugging on the strap to pull it free a few items tumbled loose. One of the items was a guitar case which she took a moment to open spotting a dusty but nice looking bass guitar. She closed the lid and finished grabbing the duffle bag before heading to the bathroom just as Nick was arriving.

They walked in together and after she set the bag down Judy turned to her fox and said, "First things first, let's get these vests off." She pulled her shirt off revealing the vest she was wearing underneath before undoing the straps while Nick wished desperately that he could help. Lifting the vest over her head revealed Judy to be wearing nothing under it other than a simple black sports bra causing Nick to salivate slightly at the sight. Once her vest was on the floor and pushed aside she climbed on her stool and carefully undid Nick's shirt one button at a time. Nick hummed happily at her attention. Once his shirt was open she dug through the duffle bag until she found a pair of scissors and finished cutting his left sleeve off allowing her to remove the shirt without moving his injured arm. After that it was only a few moments till his vest joined hers on the floor as well leaving him with a tight fitting tank top. "Okay, I have some basic first aid training, but I'm guessing you have more experience here?"

Nick chuckled humorlessly, "Sure do Fluff. Okay first things first, we need to get these bandages off. I need you to turn the sink to lukewarm and fill it up about halfway. That should help loosen the cloth from any blood that's already started to clot."

Judy moved the stool back over to the sink, hopped up and turned the water on. Once she was satisfied with the temperature she washed her paws vigorously before lowering the drain plug into place and let the sink begin to fill up. Nick stood beside her still holding the peas in place with his good paw. Once the sink was full enough he lowered his arm in allowing the warm water to work its way throughout the cloth bandages causing the water to rapidly turn a deep red. Judy loosened the stopper for the sink a little and turned the water back on to try and clear up the water a bit. Once it became a little more translucent she started to work the knot on the wrappings as gently as she could. Nick couldn't help but smile, she may be a little less experienced at back alley treatment, but she clearly had good instincts, though he couldn't help but feel a little badly at how dirty her paws were getting.

He wasn't able to dwell on the perfect metaphor because she had already untied the knot and began to slowly unwrap the bandages. She only felt resistance a couple of times, but a little massaging of the cloth under the warm water loosened the clumps of dried blood easily. Once the wrappings were removed and thrown into the trash the only thing left was the handkerchief itself. It was a bit more stuck in place but Judy was able to pull it free painlessly with some time and patience. For the first time Judy saw just how bad the cut was, and while no cut was good, this one was long but shallow, not cutting into anything major. Also she noticed the edges weren't ragged at all indicating to her that the knife Raymond must have been incredibly sharp.

With that finished Judy turned and asked, "Okay, what's next?"

"In the bag there is an electric razor. We'll need to remove the fur around the cut so I can stich it up without any of that getting in the way. Great way to get an infection by the way. Ask me how I know."

Judy didn't feel like laughing but he somehow managed to drag a small chuckle out of her anyway. After a few moments she found the device and brought it out. She noticed straight away that it had and extra bit on the top that she didn't quite recognize but plugged in the razor without question. Nick was busy patting his arm dry with the last of the towels from Maggie's as Judy was finishing prepping the shaver.

Nick went to take the razor from her but she shook her head, "If you're always going to be this stubborn about avoiding the hospital I'll need to learn how to do this kind of thing. Better now on your forearm where you can see and guide me than, say, your back."

Nick couldn't find a single flaw in her logic, but he was mostly taken away at how she clearly didn't mind patching him up like this. He nodded then said, "Uh, okay, we'll need about a half an inch on each side of the cut. And make sure you turn on the mini vacuum as well, keep the hairs from getting into the cut."

Judy said, "Ahh, so that's what that is." before switching both parts of the razor on and began carefully shaving Nick's arm. "It's a shame you know." she said as she began removing the hair. "Your fur is so soft, it seems a waste to shave any of it off."

Nick had to stifle his laugh to prevent jostling his arm too much. Once he was able to calm down enough to talk he said, "It's okay Carrots: my tail is my fluffiest part and that's still fine."

Judy hummed softly, "Well thank Serendipity for that. Waking up with your tail wrapped around me is one of the greatest feelings I've ever experienced. If anything ever happens to your tail I'm pretty sure I'm going to leave you Slick."

Nick broke out in a deep belly laugh at her joke. Judy anticipated this and pulled the razor away to prevent any accidental nicks. After the night they'd had it felt good to share in a moment of true happiness. As he finished laughing he said with sincerity, "Well that's good to know Fluff. But cards on the table, I can't see myself ever leaving you. I love you Judy."

Judy kissed his cheek and said, "I love you too Nick. Now let's finish up with this arm." After she was finished shaving his arm she said, "What's next slick?"

Nick set the peas down and answered, "Well I have to clean the wound with soap and water, then probably a bit of rubbing alcohol, which I'm really looking forward to."

Judy picked the peas back up and placed them back on his shoulder moving his good paw to hold them in place, "Okay, move you arm back over the sink and I'll get to scrubbing."

Nick wanted to argue with her, that she didn't need to keep dirtying her paws on him, but he knew it was pointless, besides, he did love being under her care. Judy, for her part, was taking it all in stride. She didn't enjoy the fact that her fox was as hurt as he was, but she did enjoy taking care of him like she was. She started by slowly and carefully washing the cut with soap and warm water before moving to the surrounding tissue. It took her a few minutes but Nick sat silently, doing nothing but staring at her face which was frowning with concentration.

Once she was satisfied Judy asked, "Okay, time for the rubbing alcohol?"

Nick stood up and said, "Alcohol? Yes. Rubbing alcohol? No. I think we should let it air dry for a minute first, and I don't know about you, but I could go for a drink right about now."

Judy stepped off her stool and said, "No I'm fine, but you can have one I guess. You haven't lost that much blood."

Nick knelt down in front of his bunny, looking her in the eyes. He cupped her cheek with his good paw and said, "Your paw has been shacking since you took the bandages off Judy: you're not fine. I'm sorry I shouldn't have asked you to do this, I should have just gone to the hospital like you wanted…"

Judy hadn't even noticed, but her paws did have a slight tremor to them. She started to tear up, "I'm sorry… I don't even know what's wrong! You're the one who got hurt but…" she broke off with a sob. "I just keep seeing him standing over you in that alley! I thought he… I thought he had…"

Nick took her still shaking paws in his own, she was once again amazed at how small he made her feel, though he somehow managed to never make her feel insignificant. He tugged on her paws once causing her to stumble forward and into his chest as he wrapped her up in a one armed hug. She cried for a few minutes while he busied himself with stroking her ears and hummed softly. Judy grabbed Nick's fur roughly and buried her face in his chest rubbering it in his luxurious fur.

Once she calmed down she mumbled into his chest, "I think I'll have that drink Slick."

Nick laughed and stood up carrying his bunny with him into the kitchen. Judy ordered him to take a seat while she dug through his liquor cabinet. Nick took this opportunity to swap out the peas with a bag of frozen corn and sat down at the island. It didn't take long for Judy to pull out two bottles with a happy hum. She turned to him and asked, "You wouldn't happen to have any simple syrup would you?"

Nick answered, "I do, mason jar on the top shelf of the fridge door." He knew exactly what drink she was planning and he was honestly impressed. She grabbed the jar in question as well as two ice cubes from the freezer and set about mixing the drinks. Once both glasses were properly mixed she started walking around the island to join him. Nick smirked at her and said, "And just when I thought you couldn't get any more beautiful here you are with your top off and two drinks in paw."

Judy fixed him with a flat glare and said, "Well now I don't think I'll give you one, you don't deserve it."

Nick placed his good paw over his heart, "Oh, you wound me more than a dozen knives ever could my dearest. How can I make it up to my fairest Judy?"

She handed him his glass and hopped up next to him, "You could stop getting hurt for one. I haven't known you for that long Nick, and including the time you spent in the hospital almost all of the time I've spent with you you've been hurt or recovering!"

Nick couldn't think of a joke to make so he decided to be sincere instead, "I… I'm sorry Judy. I don't go out of my way to get injured, but it must not look like that huh?"

Judy smiled and raised her glass, "All's well that ends well, and a full recovery is almost as good as no injury at all…" Nick clinked his glass to hers and she continued, "Here's to us surviving another encounter with the scum of Zootopia."

They both took a healthy sip and sighed happily. Nick cut the silence, "An excellent Old Fashioned Fluff. I have to admit, seeing you reach for the bourbon surprised me a bit." He noticed that her glass was already mostly empty, "Though not as surprised at how fast you can apparently put it away! Damn Carrots, if I wasn't already in love with you this little display might have done it."

Judy fixed him with a smoky look over the rim of her glass and said, "Well, growing up in the countryside like I did there weren't all that many things to do outside of chores. Most of my sisters filled their free time with chasing bucks, but when I wasn't prepping for joining the ZPD me and my friends would be at one of the bars playing pool and throwing back drinks. Not always in that order."

Nick let out an appreciative whistle, "Well color me impressed for one. Soon as my arm feel better I'll have to take you out to a pool hall and spank your tail."

Judy took a sip and said, "Well, if there's time we should play some pool too while we're there."

Nick choked on his drink while Judy casually finished her glass. He didn't trust his voice so he took a cautious sip of his glass to try and calm his nerves. A minute later he set his now empty drink on the island and said, "Well, I suppose we should finish up with my arm eh?"

Judy climbed from her chair and sat on his lap being extra careful of his arm. She grabbed his muzzle with both paws and drew him into a deep kiss. To his tongue she tasted even better with a hint of bourbon. As she pulled away slightly out of breath she said, "Let's get you patched up Slick." and slid out of his grip down to the floor.

Nick hopped off his stool as well, but instead of following her he made his way over to the counter and grabbed the bottle of bourbon. Judy spoke up, "I'll put that away…" but stopped short as she noticed Nick taking a few pulls straight from the bottle.

He set the bottle down with a shudder and said, "Sorry about that. You needed a drink for your nerves, I need a few for the stitches. I wouldn't say they hurt exactly they always feel so weird as the thread gets pulled through, and I've never found a topical anesthetic that works as well as a few good drinks."

Judy chuckled at her fox and walked with him back to the bathroom. They got back in their respective positions and Judy opened the bottle of rubbing alcohol as well as a new package of gauze pads. She poured a bit of the clear liquid along the cut causing her fox to hiss out in pain, but as much as it hurt her to cause him any pain, not matter how small or necessary, she didn't stop. She then whipped down the area with the gauze soaking up as much of the alcohol as she could.

She tossed the pads with the rest of the ruined clothes and towels and said, "Alright, what's next?"

Nick rummaged through the duffle bag for a moment before pulling out a small package. It had the words 'Suture Kit' written along the side. Nick unzipped the package with his teeth and laid out a few of the pieces along the edge of the sink. "Okay, once you sterilize the forceps and hemostat I can start stitching myself."

Judy's shoulders slumped slightly, but her stare never wavered "Nicholas Piberius Wilde! How many times do I have to tell you that I'm here to help! Can you honestly do a good job suturing yourself with just one paw?"

Nick's ears folded back at hearing her use his full name. He muttered something about a damn detective that even Judy couldn't quite make out. When he was done mumbling he said, "Sorry Judy, force of habit, but you're right. Do you know what you're doing?"

Judy started cleaning the equipment and said, "No, but you do and you'll walk me through it step by step." She stopped what she was doing for a moment and glared at him, "Right?"

Nick nodded several time, "Right! You're right! It'd be my pleasure!"

She simply nodded once and resumed cleaning the equipment. Once she was finished she said, "Okay, what's the plan Slick?"

Nick looked around the bathroom and said, "Can you get two of the folding chairs from the hall closet? Stitches take a long time to get done right, no sense being on our paws the whole time."

Judy nodded once before dashing off to root through the closet once again. Only a few seconds after she left Judy came marching back in with a pair of folding metal chairs. She set them up next to each other and Nick took his seat. He looked through the remaining pieces of the suture kit and grabbed a small box and offered it to Judy, "That's the actual needle and thread. You'll use the hemostat here to push the needle through and the forceps are to hold my flesh in place if it's needed." Judy picked up the tools from the sink edge and following his careful instructions set about stitching him back together. He expected her to be a little hesitant, but once she started she fell into a good rhythm with steady paws.

As she was cutting another finished suture Judy said, "Nick… would you play that recording for me?"

Nick's grimace had nothing to do with the needle currently berried in his arm, "If you want I'll send it to you. I… I can't Carrots, sorry."

Judy said, "No of course, I'm sorry for even asking. I assume you don't want that recording to end up as official evidence, but I want to see if there's anything else I can nail to the bastard who dared to hurt my m… my fox."

Nick caught her little slip but didn't comment on it instead he asked, "Judy, did you scent mark me earlier?"

Judy almost dropped her tools in surprise but managed to hold on, "Oh Serendipity! I did didn't I? I'm so sorry Nick, I know what scent marking means for foxes. I didn't even mean to, not really, it just happened."

Nick brought his paw up to her chin and forced her to look up at him "I didn't say I minded Carrots, I was just surprised is all. It's just… it's just that when I thought about marking you it was never in the bathroom with my bloody bandages in the corner. But none of that matters Judy, this is what matters." He grabbed his bunny by her shoulder and pulled her close and swiped his cheeks all around her face marking his bunny with his scent.

As he pulled back Judy was stunned silent. She let out a gasping sob before she dove into his outstretched arm as he laughed wholeheartedly. Even as she was crying softly she rubbed her scent into his chest again. Eventually she calmed down enough to speak, "But I thought that foxes only mark their mates?"

The tears in her eyes reflected the ones in Nick's eyes, "That's right. I already told you Judy, you're it for me. I could spend days or weeks trying to deny it, but what would be the point? I want to be with you Judy, and I think you feel the same."

Judy nodded, "Yes Nick, I've never felt anything like what I feel for you. I love you and only you."

Nick brought her back in for a hug and the two of them sat there peacefully for a few minutes. Occasionally one of them would pull back from the hug, but that was only so they could mash their muzzles together passionately. As they sat there out of breath from the kissing Nick pressed his forehead to hers and said, "Judy my love?"

Judy looked up at her fox and said, "Yes Nick?"

"You're pulling on the stitch in my arm."

Judy was out of his grasp in an instant, "Oh fuck! I'm so sorry Nick!" She looked over his arm, making sure she didn't do any real damage.

As she was checking him over Nick said, "You really did your research, didn't you Judy? When did you read up on fox mating habits?"

Judy froze for a moment but quickly resumed her work before she replied, "After I moved back to Bunnyburrow. After the press conference I threw myself into my work to keep myself distracted from how miserable I was, I didn't even really know why I was so upset. But once I was back home I had nothing but time to sit with my thoughts, and I thought about you the whole time."

As she started on the last few sutures Nick said sadly, "Yeah, I know how you felt. At first I felt betrayed by you, but then, I just missed you. I'm glad you found your way back to me Judy."

Not trusting herself to speak Judy simply gave her fox a peck on the lips and went back to sewing up his arm. After she finished the sutures she grabbed a pack of bandages and set about wrapping his arm. Once she was satisfied with her work she said, "Okay, what's next?"

Nick grabbed a roll of plastic wrap from the duffle bag, "Next is: I need a shower." Judy nodded and moved to step out of the bathroom but Nick continued, "Hold on a second there Carrots. I am an injured fox… are you sure I should shower alone?"

Judy turned, "Right… we wouldn't want you to slip and fall."

Nick stood in front of her, towering over her smaller frame causing her to swallow weakly, "Exactly, we just want to be safe. That's all."

She took a slow step forward, "Just being cautious."

Judy's paws were shaking slightly as they moved to her belt buckle but Nick got there first, "No please, allow me."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for taking the time < 3
> 
> I appreciate all the Follows and Favorites and all the reviews mean a lot to me.
> 
> Oh and it fades to black and they wake up in the morning because THIS IS A CHRISTIAN FANFIC. Just kidding, there will be smut in the next chapter.


	21. Steamy

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Nick and Judy get hot and heavy, and then they make love.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Required joke about writing one handed... Though in all seriousness I'd like to give another content warning, this chapter is full o' smut. If that makes you uncomfortable feel free to skip this chapter.
> 
> I don't own Zootopia.

Judy was amazed. Even just using one paw Nick was able to undo her belt in the blink of an eye. Once the buckle was opened he slowly pulled the belt off, one loop at a time. Once the belt was free of her pants he tossed it aside and flashed her a predatory grin that caused her knees to go weak. Before she was given a chance to catch her breath his paw was already working on her pants buttons. One by one they came undone until her pants were wide open and he slid them off her hips one side at a time and they dropped to the floor revealing her snow white panties. Nick moved to take those off as well but she pushed his paw away, "Nope, my turn Slick." and she started working on his pants. She couldn't pull her eyes away from the sizable bulge that had formed behind his zipper. Judy gulped weakly as she pulled the zipper down slowly revealing the tent he was pitching in his boxers.

Nick stepped out of his pants and turned on the shower before turning back to his bunny. She reached up and started to pull her bra off. As she closed her eyes to finish pulling her bra up and over her head Nick struck. He knelt down to start kissing her exposed neck while her arms were still trapped. She screamed out giggling as he started nibbling on her chin before he brought his good paw behind her and started playing with her tail. Judy tossed her bra aside and grabbed his ears pulling his head up so she could kiss his lips. She stuck her tongue out licking his teeth until he returned the motion allowing her tongue into his mouth. She was so caught up with the kiss she barely noticed his paw pulling down her panties, unconsciously stepping out of them when they bunched up around her ankles.

Her paws wondered all over his body, anywhere they could reach. She felt up the muscles on his arms (being careful not to jostle his let too much), she traced a few of the scars she could feel on his back with her blunted claws causing him to let out a lusty growl. As her paws traced lower they came across the hem of his boxers and she broke off the kiss to focus on tugging them down. Had Nick had a firmer grasp on reality he might have felt a little self-conscious as he stood up allowing her easier access to the offending garment. The elastic band caught on his boner for a moment before she managed to pull the cloth out far enough to allow his erect dick to spring free giving her the first look at her fox's impressive package peaking up over the edge of his underwear. Judy couldn't look away as she finished dropping his drawers to the floor revealing his engorged red cock peaking out of the cream fur clad sheath just above his two furry balls.

Judy tentatively reached out both paws but hesitated before asking, "Can I touch it?"

Nick was stunned for a moment, said, "Please." and nodded once.

Nick let out an involuntary whine as she wrapped both paws around his dick and just held it for a moment. His whole body shuddered once as a bead of precum formed at the tip bringing with it even more scent of male that was already making Judy's head swim. She stepped closer and leaned her head down closer to the prick in her paws and without even thinking stuck out her tongue to lap up the fluid leaking from the tip groaning as the flavor drove her lust to new, previously unheard of, heights. As she was busy playing with his cock he pulled his undershirt off and tossed it carelessly aside. Judy moved her head back and said, "Serendipity, I think it's even bigger than the…" but trailed off before she could finish the thought.

Thoughts of ex-boyfriends rose unbidden in Nick's mind causing a mixed sense of jealously and pride to swell in his chest. He was proud at how even he was able to keep his voice as he said, "Bigger than who Carrots? Ex-lover? Favorite porn star?"

Judy tore her gaze away from the member still in her paws and immediately noticed the look of unease he tried to hide. She was impressed with herself for managing to put on what she considered to be a good 'bedroom eyes' expression for her fox before she started pumping her paws back and forth agonizingly slowly. Nick's legs threatened to give out be he managed to stay standing as she said, "No ex-lovers Slick. But I do know that you got a good whiff of my hotel room. I wonder, what does horney bunny smell like to a fox? Well, I guess there's no sense in keeping the fact that you were the cause of all that scent."

That cut through the haze of arousal that was rapidly consuming Nick's mind, "Me? Most of the time you were in that hotel room I was in the hospital in a coma…"

Judy gave him another lick before she said, "Yup, and I came to see my handsome hero every day in that hospital. I'd spend all day holding your paw with both of mine, or stroking your brow, talking to you until the nurses would kick me out. Then I'd be back at the hotel all alone, upset from seeing you laying there all day with a set of paws that smelled just like you. It didn't take too long before I was stripped naked on that hotel bed playing with myself with one paw while the other would be pressed against my nose so I could drown in your scent."

Nick was on the verge of cumming just from the images she was conjuring up with her story, but she apparently wasn't done. She picked up the pace of her stroking, and after she licked up the new drops of precum said, "Well, after about a week of doing that my paw just wasn't enough so I ordered… a toy. A… a fox dick. It took me some time to get used to it, but fuck me, it was amazing."

The whole time she was telling the little story and jacking him off Nick could smell her arousal building almost as much as his own. He tried to come up with something to say, to let her know that the little tale she just shared with him was the hottest thing he'd ever heard, but for the first time in a long time his words failed him completely. So he moved his leg behind hers and tripped her, much to her vocal surprise and disappointment. Nick was able to use his good arm to arrest her fall so that instead of landing hard on her butt she was set down softly on her back on the rug next to the tub. He kissed her fiercely on her lips before he started making his way down. Judy gasped out as he slowed at her chest, taking the time to locate her pink nipples poking out of her white fur with his tongue, licking and kissing each several times before continuing with a trail of kisses down her stomach.

At first Judy was upset that he'd stopped her when she was sure he was so close to climax, but as he was planting kisses just above her now soaking pussy, she couldn't remember to stay mad. Just as his trail was going to lead to her lower lips he diverted, instead kissing her inner thigh tenderly. While the sensations were pleasant causing a mixture of a groan and a giggle they were not what she wanted, what she needed at that moment. She sat up slightly and grabbed both of his pointy ears and tried desperately to drag him to where she needed him.

Nick didn't budge, instead he took the time to hook both of her legs over his shoulders and said, his breath hot in between her legs, "You wanted to know what horny bunny smells like to me? It smells like easy prey." He licked her lips once causing her to relax her grip on his ears slightly and he said, "It smells like my next meal." And he licked again flicking his tongue once on her clit causing her to shriek and fall back letting go of his ears, "It smells like you're mine

Judy." and he dove in, lapping at the juices dripping from his bunny.

As she was writhing under his attention he lifted his mouth away and he said breathlessly, "I've never done this before… tell me what you want me to do." before he went right back to licking at her increasingly wet pussy, savoring each taste more than the last.

It took a long time for Judy to comprehend the words as she was focusing on what he was doing to her. She managed to gasp out, "Oh fuck, don't stop. Could you maybe use a finger too?" She covered her face with her paws in embarrassment as he glanced up before snuck his paw up under his tongue and slid a finger into her causing her to let out a high pitched scream that lowered to a moan as she latched onto his ears again. She used them to guide him to the right spots as he continued to ravish her.

They kept on like that, Nick using her moans as a guide to the right locations to give extra attention, and Judy using his ears to urge him to those spots even faster. He pulled his finger out so he could shove his tongue into her depths, trying desperately to locate the source of her flavor. As he was still probing inside her Judy gasped out, "Oh fuck, I'm so close!"

Nick pulled his tongue back into his mouth, slid two of his fingers into her soaking pussy and started licking her clit as fast as he could. Judy's mind couldn't form words, but the screams of pleasure she was letting out told him everything he needed to know. He pumped his fingers in and out faster and faster until her whole body writhed and she let out a shriek and clamped down on his fingers as he drew out her first orgasm of the night. Nick slowed his motions and eventually pulled his fingers out of her. He then moved up to lay down beside her and pulled her into his chest. Judy's eyes were closed in bliss, but she didn't need to see to wrap her arms around her fox before burying her face in his cream colored fluff.

She didn't open her eyes until she heard something coming from above her head. She lifted her eyelids slowly and tilted her head up and saw Nick slowly licking his fingers clean humming after each lick. Her ears shot up in shock and were already flushed a deep shade of red. She wanted to close her eyes to the embarrassment, but they were glued to his long grinning muzzle as it parted each time to allow his tongue to reach out and take another sample of her flavor. It was so hot she almost came again just watching him.

After she shivered from the pleasure coursing throughout her body she stood up said, "Nick, take a seat." and pointed to one of the folding chairs. Nick quirked an eyebrow but didn't question his bunny and took to his feet before making his way over to the chair and sitting down. With every step he took Judy watched his boner bounce and sway unable to look away. Nick felt a little exposed sitting there uncovered and couldn't figure out where to put his hands eventually placing them on his knees.

Judy walked in front of Nick, turned around, bending at the waist just slightly and turned her head saying, "Do you want to see my fluffy little tail bouncing on your lap?"

Nick jaw fell open but he was quick to recover, "You know, I was curious at how low that white fur went. It travels all the way from your adorable chin, right down to the underside of that cute little tail of yours huh? Well, as much as I might, no will, enjoy that sight, tonight I want to see you, to be seen by you."

Judy was stunned silent at her romantic fox's statement so she just silently nodded and turned back to face him fully. Nick offered out his good paw which she took to climb up on top of him and she sat down on his lap, her pussy just a few inches from his dick. Nick grabbed her face and pulled her into a kiss. Judy slid forward until she was pressed up against his throbbing cock and began to slide herself up and down on his shaft. Nick let out a hiss before he bit down on her neck gently feeling her pulse through his teeth, his paw sliding down her side to take her rear in his firm grip, pulling her body against his. Him holding her like that caused Judy to pick up her pace and bring her paws down to his dick rubbing it all over.

Nick groans of pleasure eventually turned to whines of need which Judy took as her cue to lift herself off his lap and line up his cock with her entrance. She paused briefly to ask, "Are you sure about this Nick? I don't want you to regret this later."

Nick relaxed his jaw and pulled back to look at his sweet little bunny. He kissed her softly once and said, "How could I ever regret being with you Judy? You're beautiful, sweet, kind, and you love me, what more could I possibly want from my mate?"

Judy teared up before she leaned in for a kiss. As their lips pressed together she lowered her hips down taking in his length excruciatingly slowly. She didn't stop until her lips were pressed against his knot. Nick's grip on her rear tightened as he leaned his head back letting out a long groan. Had he been taking the lead he may have left her there for a moment to allow himself to recover, but his bunny didn't give him a second before she started raising herself back up. She quickly fell into a rhythm, impaling herself on his rod before dragging it back out. Nick started bucking his hips lightly in time with her motion and the room filled with the sounds of their love making, the wet slaps from their hips, and the groans that escaped from their lips.

After a few minutes of Judy continuously picking up the pace she was fucking him Nick couldn't take it any longer and begged, "Judy, please… my knot. I need your paws on my knot."

Judy shook her head and gasped out, "Nope sorry. If you want to cum you'll have to do it yourself." Nick groaned and moved his paw from her ass towards the base of his cock but she slapped it away. Nick looked confused and Judy clarified, "You'll have to take me Nick."

Nick snarled and gripped her rear once again before he stood up and with his cock still buried in her moved to the sink and set her down on the edge. He took no time before he started thrusting into her with desperation. He loomed over her and she wrapped her arms around him pressing her whole body against his.

She quickly brealized that he was still holding back so she spoke up, "Did you know I touched myself in here the other day?" Nick paused for a moment, his face twisted in puzzlement but focused entirely on her. She shifted around a bit before she continued, "That bath I took after our jog? It was a lot like this too, I was covered in your sweat from the nap we took, just like now. I couldn't resist, I pictured you coming in here and having your way with me. Please Nick, take me, knot me. I need it."

Nick swallowed weakly before he kissed her and resumed thrusting into her. He pressed his knot into her starting of with easy pressure before slowly increasing the force. After a minute the bulge at the base of his cock slipped inside her lips, his tip pressing firmly against her cervix. Judy cried out in ecstasy before clamping her teeth down on his collarbone, the sensation of being so incredibly full making her cum. Nick gave a few shaky thrusts before he came inside her pussy, which was squeezing his dick so hard it almost hurt. Judy could feel his cock pulse inside her as his hot cum surged up his length and into her womb. Nick let go of her cheek and brought his paw up to the back of her head stroking her ears softly. As he finished cumming Nick let out a breath he hadn't realized he was holding in a low groan as he shuddered.

Nick wrapped his arm around her and moved back to the chair sitting down roughly driving a cute little squeak from her lips. Nick hugged her tightly as he leaned back in the chair trying to get his breathing under control. Once his heartrate came down a little and rational thought became possible once again he panicked and pulled Judy away from his chest and asked, "Oh Karma, I didn't hurt you did I Judy?"

Judy groaned in protest at being dragged away from her fox's chest and said her voice a little loopy, "Hurt me? Serendipity no. I don't think I can feel my legs, but I'm not going to complain. Fuck, are you still cumming?"

Nick's dick throbbed, "No, but I won't be going soft anytime soon. I'm afraid you're stuck with me for a while."

Judy sighed in contentment, bucked her hips once and said, "Good. I already love the feeling of you filling me like this so I don't want it to end just yet."

Nick pinched her rear causing her to squeak again and clamp down on his shaft. He smirked down at her and said, "You've got yourself a dirty little mouth Carrots, I like it."

Judy matched his smirk and whispered, "Well that's good cause I enjoy the feeling of your cock throbbing in my wet… tight… pussy." Her fox gasped as his cock pulsed once again forcing Judy to let out a moan of pleasure. When Nick was able to bring his gaze back to hers again she was smiling at him from behind her paws clearly happy with what she said, though still embarrassed by it.

Nick kissed the top of her head and said, "Well, we've probably wasted enough water. What do you say we actually use the shower now?"

Judy let out a hum that sounded more like a purr, "Mmmm, that sounds wonderful Slick."

Nick nodded and wrapped his arm under her rear and stood up off the chair before making his way into the shower allowing the hot water to flow over both of them. He slowly and carefully lowered himself down to the floor of the tub crossing his legs close to his body and set her down on them. She leaned back to allow the water to flow down her chest as well before she leaned back into his embrace.

While the two of them sat there just soaking in the hot steam Judy's eyes snapped open and she asked excitedly, "Do you know how to play guitar Nick? I saw your bass in the closet when I was looking for the first-aid kit."

Nick chuckled sadly before he raised his left paw in-between the two of them and flexed it a few times. It popped and cracked loudly each time. He winced and said sadly, "I know how, but I can't any more. Few years ago I got in a fight with some-mammal about… something, I don't even remember what. Well after his buddies jumped me and left me bleeding on the ground he stomped on my paw breaking it in more than a few places. The hospital did their 'best' but it never healed correctly. I still have full range of motion with my fingers, but holding certain positions for longer than a few moments, well, it hurts like hell."

Judy took the paw in hers and looked it over noticing the faint scars, she guessed correctly that they were from reconstructive surgery. She then kissed each and every one of the marks she could find, her heart once again breaking for her fox. After she had pressed her lips to the last mark she said, "Could you teach me?"

Nick was taken aback, "Uh, sure I can. Why would you want to learn?"

"Well, it was something you enjoyed, I thought it could bring us closer together. Besides, I dedicated my whole life to being a cop. Now that I am I've realized I don't have any real hobbies."

Nick nodded, "I love you Judy, of course I'll teach you to play Sweetheart. You'll be slapping the strings soon enough. But until then, can I scrub you clean?" His muzzle broke out in a predatory grin.

Judy's ears stood straight up and flushed red, he found it good to know that even tied like they were she could still get flustered. She gulped once and nodded causing Nick to break out in a even wider grin. He grabbed the blueberry scented body-wash and poured some onto his paw and began to scrub her all over. It wasn't exactly sexual in nature, but he did pay extra attention to some places like her tail or her chest. It didn't matter where he touched her though as she quickly fell into a trance pressing whatever place he was scrubbing back into his paw.

By the time Nick finished washing her body she was putty in his paws, less a bunny and more of a collection of pleasure. But it turns out Nick wasn't quite done with her and once his paw was full of some more of the body-wash he began to stroke her ears one at a time rubbing them with what seemed like almost religious devotion causing another wave of euphoria to surge through her body. She pulled him down to her so she could kiss his muzzle groaning into his mouth, but he didn't stop, couldn't stop, washing his bunny's ears.

Judy found herself bouncing on his lap once again, feeling his lips against hers, his pads petting her ears, his tongue wiggling inside her mouth, and his cock throbbing inside her pussy. She picked up the pace until she was practically vibrating on his shaft and all too soon Nick pulled away from her lips so he could gasp for breath as he came once again. Judy's pussy was already stuffed with his seed so most of the cum was pushed out around his knot spilling into the water and flowed down the drain. It didn't matter to her that he couldn't fill her any more than he already had as she was already so close from the attention he'd been giving her just the sensation of his pulsating dick caused her to cum once again.

Nick groaned and slowly slid down until he was laying on his back bringing a giggling Judy with him. He managed to gasp out, "Oh Karma Carrots, you'll be the death of me. I don't think I'll last a week like this."

Judy laughed and said, "Sorry to hear that old man, but, oh what a week it'll be. Now sit you lazy butt up so I can wash you. You're the reason we're in here in the first place."

Nick laughed and said, "Well you can wash my front just fine from here." He closed his eyes and slid down a little further so he was laying completely flat. Judy scowled at him but he was blissfully oblivious with his eyes closed so she grabbed the bottle of soap from the floor of the tub and started to scrub him clean. He brought his paws up to her hips as she was finishing washing his chest and slowly sat up. She did her best to wash is back as well, with her pressed up against him as she was it took her a while to finish reaching everywhere. After she finished he brought his tail around and placed it between their bodies. Judy smiled at him and got another glob of the soap and started running her finger through the tail washing every last inch of it as slowly as she could.

Once they were both satisfied they were clean Judy asked, "You ready to take me to bed?"

Nick's heartrate spiked once again hearing that and said, "I'll always be ready for that Judy."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I considered just writing AND THEN THEY FUCKED! instead of the whole chapter, but somehow that felt... anticlimactic. Cue CSI Miami intro.
> 
> To everyone who's still following and writing reviews, thank you and I love you!
> 
> Shout out to Llimdrin who's comment on the last chapter named this one!


	22. Good Morning Fluff

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Nick and Judy wake up after a night of love making. Judy also takes a minute to listen to the recording Nick had taken.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello everyone! Last chapter went over well which is awesome. I live off of you're feedback. 3
> 
> I do not own Zootopia.

Nick was awoken by something warm shifting in his arm. Before he opened his eyes he took a breath in through his nose which caused his mind to flood with images of what he did with his bunny last night. He let out a rather pleased sounding sigh as he brought her slightly squirming form in tighter to his side. Judy didn't stop moving, in fact she started struggling even more. Had Nick been fully awake he probably would have let her go, instead he kissed the top of her head trying to comfort her thinking she was having a bad dream.

Once she realized her cuddly fox was actually awake Judy whispered, "Slick, you need to let me go unless you want me to wet the bed!" Nick recognized the desperation in her voice so after he let out an amused snort he understandably removed his arm from around her waist and she was off like a bullet for the bathroom. Nick checked his clock on the nightstand and let out a groan at the 4:17 it was showing. There has to be some sort of law against waking up so early. Thankfully his mate was a cop; she'd probably know. He'd have to ask her later.

Nick rolled onto his back and closed his eyes, willing himself back to sleep which, of course, never works. He heard the toilet flush before the sink turned on for a few moments. Nick sat up in bed and let the covers fall down to his waist waiting for his bunny to come back to him. His muzzle broke out in a wide smile as she entered the bedroom again. She stopped when she noticed him staring at her and her ears flushed pink. She straightened her back and stomped over to her luggage and bent over to start digging through it while Nick enjoyed the view.

When she pulled out a pair of panties Nick said, "Don't wear anything you don't want torn to shreds Carrots."

Judy glanced back at the smug looking fox and dropped the panties back into the bag rolling her eyes. She climbed back into the bed and Nick slid back down so she could snuggle up next to him. His paw started to wonder over her nude form but she stopped him saying, "Actually Slick, I'm a bit sore from last night, and more than a little exhausted. As good as your knot felt it was a bit… taxing. Is it okay if we just go back to sleep?"

Nick gave her a chaste little kiss on the tip of her cute little bunny nose and said, "That's more than fine Judy. I'm pretty exhausted too. If I actually tried to have sex right now I'd probably fall asleep halfway through."

Judy laughed and pushed him gently, "NICK!"

"Yeah, I'd pass out on top of you and you'd be smothered." She couldn't stop laughing as he continued, "Still, not a terrible way to go eh Carrots?"

Judy nuzzled into his chest, "Yeah, I'd be soooo lucky. Come on, we can get a bit more sleep Slick."

Nick pulled her onto his chest as he rolled onto his back and draped his tail over the two of them. As he was beginning to drift off to sleep he muttered, "Love you Sweetheart."

Judy shifted even deeper into his grasp and wrapped her paws around his fluffy form, "I love you too." and let out a yawn.

Judy was the first one to wake up to her alarm. She managed to slip out of Nick's paw and crawled across the bed to silence her phone. She noticed there was an email waiting for her from the chief. She opened it up with a few taps and chuckled at the fact his emails were as short and terse as his speeches:

-Hopps,

I read Detective Vlad's report, excellent work, you and Wilde both. I don't make a habit of giving the rookies overtime so don't come in till 11, but Vlad would appreciate your report before then. He may also need to interview Wilde so if you could broach the subject to him that would be great.

Chief Bogo.

Nick woke up to the sight of his bunny on all fours on his bed and with her fluffy little tail pointed straight up in the air he couldn't resist. He crept up behind her as silently as he could and while she was still distracted he pinched her rear using a bit more claw than he'd typically use. She let out a surprised yelp and jumped into the air. He snatched her while she was still in the air and flopped back down on the bed tossing the covers back over both of them. Judy was screaming with laughter at her fox's antics, not even silenced when he started peppering her face with kisses.

She finally managed to get a grip around his neck and pull him in for a long kiss. After a minute Nick pulled back and asked, "Time for you to get ready for work beautiful?"

Judy's heart skipped a beat at hearing him call her beautiful but she managed to answer him, "Not just yet, apparently the Chief is stingy with overtime. I need to send in my report of what happened last night, but I don't need to be at the station till 11."

Nick laid back down on their bed and said happily, "So I get to sleep in? Best day ever!"

"Best ever eh Slick? I wonder if I can make it just a little better."

Nick cracked his eyes open to look at her, but she had burrowed under the covers and was making her way lower. Nick gasped out in shock as he felt her soft paws fondling his balls. As his rapidly hardening dick began to slide out of his sheath he managed to say, "I… I thought you were sore?"

He felt her breath on his shaft when she replied, "I am, but my mouth feels just fine." She demonstrated her point by sucking on the tip of his dick licking it as it slid into her mouth. Judy moved one of her paws off his sack and began stroking him as she continued to bob her mouth over the head of his cock. The sounds that were coming from below the covers were enough to drive Nick crazy and he moved to pull them off, he desperately wanted to see what his bunny was doing, but Judy reached up and held them over herself before he managed to get a glimpse of her. He wasn't sure if she was being playful or if she was embarrassed, but he decided not to push it. Instead he worked his good paw down there to pet her head, trying to wordlessly convey just how good she was making him feel.

Judy felt the paw on her head and was immediately filled with thoughts of him trying to cram her head all the way down his shaft to the knot and almost pulled away in fear. She was ashamed as instead he simply started to tenderly stroke his claws over her head and down her ears. She should have realized that he wouldn't force her to deepthroat him without any warning, and if she was being honest, the thought of him taking control like that was making her more than a little hot. Maybe someday soon they could try that, for now taking her mate with her mouth and paws was enough. She was amazed at how much she was already becoming addicted to him, the feel of his fur, his thick musky scent, and now the taste of precum were all causing her mind to become addled with lust.

As she was picking up the pace and taking more and more of him into her mouth Nick was almost delirious with pleasure. His paw had fallen still on her head, simply moving with her motions, and his jaw had fallen open allowing him to gasp almost continuously as she kept up with her work, his chest heaving with excitement. Without prompting from him she moved both her paws to his knot and began squeezing gently but firmly in rhythm with her bobbing head. Nick felt the tightening of his balls almost too late to warn her, but he managed to gasp out, "Judy, I'm cumming!"

He attempted to pull her head off his dick, but her mouth was firmly planted around his tip and refused to budge. As her fox started to grunt above her she moaned as his jizz filled her mouth with his flavor. She didn't stop moving her head as she swallowed mouthfuls of his spunk groaning all the while. She didn't stop even after he had stopped spurting making sure to suck out every last drop from his shaft. Nick's paw fell off her head as he collapsed on the bed, every muscle loose, feeling as though his very soul was leaving his body.

His chest was still heaving as Judy crawled up beside him. Nick tried to saw something, anything, but he could only make happy sounding gasps for air. Judy wiped her mouth with the back of her paw before she kissed her fox's forehead sweetly, the tender moment even sweeter from the stark contrast of her needy motions just moments earlier.

When Nick was finally able to use enough of his brain to open his eyes and take a good look at his bunny she broke out into giggles at the dopy expression plastered across his muzzle. Gone was the cocky smirk he usually wore, instead it was pure naked happiness she saw there. She was tempted to simply lay down beside him, but she wanted to send in that report to the detective as soon as possible. Judy leaned back in kissing him again and said, "I need to send in my report of what happened last night Slick. Can I use your laptop?"

It took a few seconds for her words to reach him, when they did he said, "What's mine is yours Judy. The login PIN is 5839. I'm just... I'm just gonna lay here for a few minutes and try to reassemble my brain if that's okay?"

Judy giggled quietly and slipped off the bed saying, "Try and get some more sleep stud. I'll wake you in a little bit." She made her way over to her luggage and grabbed the pair of panties Nick had suggested she leave off, slipping them on. She grabbed one of her t-shirts but paused before dropping it and breaking out in a wide grin. She made her way to Nick's closet taking out a black shirt like the one Nick had worn on their first date. It didn't smell like him, it smelled like detergent, but she still slipped it on happily anyway. She giggled at how massive it was compared to her smaller frame, it trailed down past her knees, but once she rolled up the sleeves it became manageable. Now that she was dressed to her satisfaction Judy made her way to the bathroom to brush her teeth, just because she liked the taste of Nick doesn't mean she wanted it to stay there all morning.

Judy finished up in the bathroom, sat down at the laptop and booted it up. While it was loading she picked up her phone and considered putting in her ear buds to listen to the recording Nick had taken last night, but she wanted her report to be factual: just what she saw and heard herself, and not influenced by whatever was on that tape. Once the computer was on and she entered the PIN it only took her a few moments to login to the ZPD servers with her credentials. After that it was just a matter of filling out an endless list of incident forms before finally being able to enter her own notes into the case file. It was taking her longer than she had hoped to get everything she wanted on the official report entered and before she was finished she heard Nick's breathing change, becoming deeper and slower: he was waking up. She started to pout; she really wanted to crawl back into bed with him before he got up, but that didn't seem likely at this point.

Nick let out a long drawn out groan before he sat up. Judy had to stifle a laugh, his fur was sticking up at odd angles, it was so weird to see him looking so disheveled when he always carried himself with such care. It was actually quite endearing to see him like this, like it was something only she was allowed to see. He opened his mouth in an exaugurated yawn flashing his dangerous looking teeth and his tongue lolled out before he snapped his muzzle closed. Judy couldn't help the shiver of pleasure at the memory of just what that mouth was capable of. Serendipity what she wouldn't do to feel those teeth tracing through her fur once again, but now was not the time. Nick wordlessly made his way over to his dresser and grabbed a pair of boxers slipping them on before he stepped over to her and kissed her cheek. Judy hummed happily at his affectionate display but didn't say anything, she could tell that while his body was awake his spirit was still deep in dreamland.

Nick shuffled away out of the room and Judy resumed her work on the report with extra vigor. As she was starting to proofread her work she heard Nick finish up in the bathroom, but he didn't return to the bedroom. She decided that now was as good a time as any to listen to the recording so she slipped in her headphones and started to listen. It didn't take long for her to start quivering in anger; she knew her fox had been dealt a bad hand, but hearing how he was cheated out of even having a fair shake once again was almost more than she could take. She started sobbing quietly, but rewound the recording to listen again even though it broke her heart to do so.

She was emotionally devastated when Nick came walking back into the bedroom with two steaming mugs in his good paw. With the ear buds in Judy didn't hear him approach. Once he was close enough to see that she had tears streaming down her face Nick panicked and dropped the mugs causing the ceramics to shatter loudly. Thoughts of her regretting their night of passion together flooded his mind, despite his confident façade Nick constantly wore he was often filled with self-doubt. Judy spun around when she heard the mugs smash and saw her fox standing there with fear and concern all over his face. As he moved to step away she ripped the headphones out as if they were covered in poison and ran to him tackling him to the floor. He was already off balance physically and emotionally and was in no way prepared for her to dive at him like that and he fell roughly onto his back, turning as he fell to ensure he protected her and his injured shoulder, and in that order.

Nick had no idea what to expect once she was pinning him down, but her crawling up to his chest, burying her face in his fluff and sobbing deeply was not what he was prepared for. He wrapped his paws carefully around her slowly still unsure of what happened to upset her so. It wasn't until he spotted the phone on the desk with the headphones still swinging back and forth that he pieced together what likely happened. Seeing them there caused him to seethe with rage, guessing correctly that she had listened to the recording, though at the same time it did reassure him that he wasn't the direct cause of her anguish.

Judy didn't stop crying even as he started stroking her ears with his claws though she did calm down slightly. Nick kissed the top of her head and whispered, "I'm so sorry Judy, I should have been here when you played that recording. I just couldn't stand the thought of listening to him all over again."

Judy turned her face away from his chest so she could breathe, but she left her cheek pressed against him, craving his touch. Her tears slowed but didn't stop and Nick's chest started to become damp, though he didn't mind in the slightest. She eventually calmed down enough to say, "It's not your fault Nick, I knew it was going to be rough, but I didn't expect it to be that bad. To hear how coldly he treated my fox, how he betrayed you… I can't stand it! Why can't everyone else see what I see Nick?"

Nick chuckled sadly, "I don't know Fluff. I'm so used to mammals treating me like shit, sometimes I can't believe that you see me differently."

She stopped crying long enough to say, "It took me some time to see past your defenses, past the shifty fox you pretended to be, but Serendipity I'm glad I did. Every time I think I can't care about you more, love you more than I do you prove me wrong."

Nick kissed the top of her head as she closed her eyes and finally relaxed. They laid there just like that for a few minutes until Judy mumbled, "Why did you drop the coffee?"

Nick tensed up for a second, if she wasn't laying on top of him she would have likely missed it, but she didn't saying anything. Eventually he did answer, "I saw you crying… I thought it was regret. I thought you regretted being with me. I should have know better, but…"

Judy finished his thought, "But a lifetime of being beatdown taught you to expect the worst in mammals. It's okay Slick, but I hope you know that you can trust me."

He kissed her head again, "I know that, but it's one thing to know and another to feel it in your bones. I love you and trust you Judy, but that doesn't fix me, not overnight. I hope you don't mind being stuck with a broken fox like me."

"You're not broken Nick. Maybe a little battered and bruised, but not broken." She paused for a long moment before she said, "Sorry about your carpet Slick."

Nick chuckled, "Nothing a little soap and water can't fix Carrots. Do you want to get up? We could just lay here for a while if you feel like it."

Judy smothered her face in his chest taking in his scent one more time before she pushed herself up on his chest, "No we should get up. I'll clean up the mess if you want to make another pot?"

Nick pulled her back down and kissed her deeply before he let her go. Once she was on her paws she helped him up without much trouble, she was stronger than she looked after all. When he was standing in front of her, his paws still being held, he was reminded of just how much he loved her. He bent down and scooped her up into his arm holding her close as he kissed his perfect bunny. Judy clung to his neck, pressing her whole body against his chest while he fondled her rear end. Both were moaning as they deepened the kiss, their emotions were raw, but the passion seemed to simultaneously soothe and stoke them.

Neither of them really noticed when Judy's back pressed against the wall. Judy used the extra leveraged to push herself up higher so Nick had to tilt his head back to keep their lips pressed together. Nick smiled as best he could as Judy chuckled, finally gaining the upper hand in one of their make out sessions. Judy tugged some of the fur on the back of his head causing him to pull away from the kiss with a slight hiss of pain. But she wasn't focused on hurting him, she just wanted access to her fox's neck where she started nibbling with her blunt teeth. Nick groaned in pleasure as she bit her way up and down his neck, it took ever ounce of his control to not throw her onto the bed and ravage her, but he did managed to restrain himself.

She eventually pulled away and kissed to top of Nick's head trying to calm down. Nick took a deep steading breath and pulled back away from the wall lowing Judy slightly, but not letting her go just yet. He cradled her in his arm and closed his eyes, just soaking in the feel of her as much as he could. Judy for her part was enjoying being carried like she was, even with one good paw Nick was able to hold her, seemingly without effort. It made her feel safe, cared for and wanted, it was one of the greatest feeling she'd ever had.

Nick took a moment to reapply his mark on his bunny and she hummed happily at the attention. Once he was finished Judy returned the favor, marking him as her mate. Her perfect fox knelt down and placed her on the floor softly. As she was regaining her feet Nick gave her a slight pinch on her rear and whispered in her ear, "I like your shirt Carrots."

She blushed slightly and said, "I like it too, I just wish it smelled like you, this one just smells like laundry detergent."

Nick laughed and stood up, "Well, I think I might be able to help you with that Sweetheart." He rubbed his scent mark around her collar, "That should hold you over for the time being."

Judy grabbed the collar and pulled it up to check the scent and let out a content sigh finding it was full of her fox's musky smell. She dropped the shirt back down and said, "We really should get going, if we don't that coffee is going to soak into your rug."

Nick booped her nose, "Our rug Carrots. You have to remember you live here too."

She practically swooned at hearing that, she didn't trust her voice so she simply nodded. Nick kissed the top of her head and made his way into the kitchen to start up another pot of coffee. While he was gone Judy went into the bathroom and grabbed the cleaning supplies.

After she finished cleaning up Judy made her way into the kitchen to see that her fox was finishing up the fresh pot. He turned to see her walking in and his face lit up, he said, "Take a load off Carrots, the coffee is almost ready." She considered helping him out, but he seemed to have it well in paw so she took his offer. Once she was seated Nick slid his phone across the island and she caught it. It was opened to a website showing a list of furniture, specifically dressers, "We can't have you living out of your luggage now can we Fluff? Pick out anything you want, on me, and we can have it delivered in the next few days."

Judy frowned slightly and said, "Nick, I have my own money, I can pay for my own furniture."

Nick pondered what she said for a moment before he said, "Well, I want to do this for you, but how about we make a deal? I'll pay for the dresser, you buy whatever else you want. I know this place is a little…"

"Bare?" Judy supplied.

"Spartan. Anything else you want to liven it up, go for it."

She started scrolling through the list, "Yeah, that sounds like a deal Slick. I'll show you what I come up with."

Nick poured their coffees and as he passed her mug over he said, "Nah, I trust you Fluff. You can show me if you want, but if you see something you really want? Buy it. Just do me a favor: use that company, Striped Furniture and Upholstery. The lady who owns it, Madison, is an old friend of mine, and they don't complain that this building isn't in a residential zone when they make their drop offs."

Judy couldn't help but smirk at him, "You really do know everyone don't you?"

Nick took a sip of his coffee, "Well, maybe not everyone, but more than most. You never know who you'll need for your next hustle."

"No more hustles for you Mr. Wilde." Judy did her best to look stern, though her smile kind of ruined it.

Nick sat down next to her and leaned in. Judy thought he was going for a kiss and presented her cheek closing her eyes expectantly. Instead he whispered in her ear, "Maybe just one more."

Judy turned to him and saw that smug look that she hated to love all over that handsome muzzle of his. She sat there and pouted at him fluttering her huge pools of amethyst. Nick's smug grin fell almost instantly and he made a number of protesting sounds, unable to articulate a thought until he said in defeat, "Fine!" and he kissed her cheek tenderly. When she looked at him it was his turn to pout, though she saw the happiness still dancing in his emerald eyes. He couldn't help but smile slightly when he said, "Sly bunny."

Judy was beaming from ear to ear, "Dumb fox! Now I suppose I'll just need to figure out a way to get the rest of my stuff here. I left a bunch of clothes and personal effects back in Bunnyburrow… Oh sweet cheese and crackers!"

Nick flinched at her outburst, "What is it?!"

"I still haven't told my dad that we're dating, and judging by the fact he hasn't called in a panic yet my mom hasn't told him either."

Nick grimaced slightly, "How do you think he'll take it? I mean, he did give you a canister of Fox-Away spray after all. Of course on the other-paw I did save his daughter's life, that has to win me some brownie points."

"It'll be better if my mom is around to talk some sense into him. Otherwise, it might be a touchy subject, but I'm sure we can make him understand."

Nick started brushing the back of his paw across her cheek, "And if he refuses to understand?"

"Then fuck him! If he isn't okay with who I want to be with than he isn't okay with me. Now hurry up and finish your coffee."

"What's the rush Fluff? You have hours before you need to go into work, we can call at anytime."

"After we finish the coffee we're going to workout. No jogging today, we don't want to bounce your shoulder around if we can help it, but we can still do a number of exercises, probably focus on legs today. Then we can have a nice breakfast before we start hitting the books."

"Books? What books?"

Judy sounded exasperated, "The Police Academy books obviously! I still have all of mine so we can start studying right away."

"But I'm not going to the Academy for weeks!"

"And when you get there you're going to show every last one of them that there is no one else who deserves to be there more than you. You and I both know that there are going to be mammals who won't want you there Nick. I want you to do so well straight out of the gate that not one of them can complain even one iota. We both know that you'll do great at any physical activity that comes up," Nick wiggled his eyebrows at her, but other than the slight blush she ignored him, "and with just a little studying I know you'll do great in the academics. I just don't want to take any chances. You have to score in the top 10% of the class to get assigned to Savana Central. You will be my partner, and I'll do whatever it takes to make that happen."

Nick's chest swelled with pride and there was steel in his voice as he said, "Got it. You'll get no complaints from me Judy. I'm actually looking forward to it oddly enough." His face broke out in a lecherous grin, "I bet you'd make a sexy teacher. Some thigh high stockings that are just a little too short to meet those tight mini-skirts, the white shirt with the top few buttons undone, and a pair of glasses… yeah, I'd like to see that."

Judy didn't respond, instead taking a moment to enjoy another sip of her coffee. She set her mug down and turned to fix him with a cool stare. Nick thought maybe he'd taken the joke a little too far but she spoke before he could apologize, "Maybe if you're good."

Nick's jaw dropped in shock but Judy was already making her way out of the kitchen, he barely noticed she'd left. When he turned to see where she went Judy called out, "Come on Slick, we need to get dressed if we're going to be working out."

He didn't even bother to try and mask his excitement, "Yes ma'am!" and her hustled off after her.

While Nick and Judy were busy working out Chief Bogo was sitting at his desk watching his phone ring. He hesitated to answer once he saw the name that appeared on the caller ID. He took a deep steadying breath before lifting the pawset off the receiver and said, "Good morning Commissioner."

The voice on the other end skipped the pleasantries, "Chief Bogo, why is it that I'm finding out about a fox joining the Academy with your name attached to the file helping him cut through the red tape?"

Bogo did not appreciate the tone, but he managed to keep his voice civil… barely, "Well sir, I think Nicholas Wilde will be an excellent addition to the police force."

"That's all you have to say?"

"Yes. As chief all I care about is getting good mammals into my precinct."

The sound of papers being flipped through came from the other line. After a pause the commissioner spoke again, "He has multiple arrests on file. I don't feel comfortable approving this application."

Bogo took another deep breath to hold himself back from yelling at his boss. When he got his temper under control he managed to grind out between clenched teeth, "Arrested but never charged, sir. That in no way should prohibit him from joining."

"Alright, well how about the fact that he killed two cops and a mayor?! Is that good enough for you Chief?"

"Two dirty cops and an acting mayor in self defense, all of which was captured on multiple surveillance cameras. Not only do the DA and I agree that there are no charges to even be considered, the city council is considering awarding him a medal."

"Than the use of a controlled substance. Arrest him and fine him for that, that'll keep him out of my academy."

Bogo was getting tired of this, "We both know that there was nothing in the books about the Night Howler serum until days after the incident at the museum and everything that are on the books now are temporary orders until we can get new laws written up."

"What do I have to say to make it clear that I do not want this fox on the force?"

"Sir, that was clear from the first words you uttered. I just wanted you to say it on the phone, because government phone lines are always recording as is required by law." There was nothing but silence from the other line so Bogo continued, "Now that it seems that I have your attention let me make something clear: if you interfere in Wilde's application, OR his career I will take this recording before the police board before leaking it to the media. Do I make myself clear Commissioner?"

"You don't want to be my enemy Mason."

"If you gave me another option I wouldn't have to be. Is that all Commissioner?"

"…For now." and the line went dead. As soon as the call was ended Bogo turned to his computer and made sure to save a local copy of the phone call to a flash drive. If the commissioner got any funny ideas about clearing the recording from the servers he wanted to have his own copy. He had failed Hopps and Wilde months ago on the sky tram station, it was his greatest shame that the two he'd dismissed so completely saved Zootopia without any help. He couldn't change the past though, so instead he'd make damn sure that those two would have any support he could lend wether they knew they needed it or not.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Madison is a reference to Madison square garden from Detective Heart of American: the Final Freedom. It's the greatest bat-shit-crazy movie I've ever seen. If you watch it don't expect cinematic gold, expect an eagle statue to fight an Ouya game system.


	23. Phone Call Home

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Nick and Judy take some time to study before she calls her parents to inform them of her... situation.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Bit of a shorter chapter this time, but I'm still happy with how it turned out! Let me know if there is anything I can do to improve!
> 
> I do not own Zootopia.

After Nick and Judy finished their workout they decided they needed a shower. They almost convinced each other that they could bathe together without getting too pawsy, but they knew that was a lie so they decided to go in separately. Once they were both freshly cleaned and dressed they met back up in the living room for a cuddle/study session. Judy was adamant about it being strictly study time, but Nick was able to convince her that he learned better with something cute in his lap. Judy didn’t really believe him, but somehow she ended up there anyway. 

Nick was already loosely familiar with a lot of laws so he was picking everything up fairly quickly. Of course his familiarity was due to his constant bending and occasional breaking of said laws but Judy didn’t mind. She did mind the fact that every time she turned the page he would mimic her action by flipping one of her ears over. It wouldn’t have bothered her, except the way he dragged his claws across her sensitive skin, it felt like lightning shooting straight into the pleasure center of her brain. She eventually had to get him to stop, "Slick, as much as I love that, if you don't stop stroking my ears I'm going to need another shower before I go to work."

Nick had a feeling if he pressed her she wouldn’t stop him, but decided to let her be. He kissed the top of her head and said, "Sorry Carrots, they’re just so soft I just couldn’t help myself, but I'll be better."

Judy paused for a moment before she said, "Well, you don’t have to stop completely… just ease up a little?"

He couldn’t hold back a laugh, "I can do that Sweetheart."

With that they went back to studying and continued to make great progress. When they finally decided to call it quits Judy fidgeted with her paws for a moment still on Nick's lap before she said, "Hey Slick… do you think we should call my parents now?" She didn’t even give him time to answer, she just started to ramble, "We could wait! That's fine too! I mean, now's as good a time as any I just-" Nick cut her off by placing a finger over her lips and kissing the top of her head. 

"Now is fine with me Carrots. Besides, Bonnie and Stu love me! I'm sure it'll go fine. Now here's the real question: do you want to call them from my lap." 

Nick was grinning from ear to ear, wiggling his eyebrows at her, thinking he'd make her flustered, but she said smiled wickedly, "Great idea Slick. Let's call them with some shifty fox taking advantage of their daughter." Nick's smile started to waver and Judy was reminded of the expression he wore when she recorded him admitting to tax fraud. She considered letting him off the hook but calling from his lap _would_ cut straight to the chase so she pulled out her phone and dialed her parents.

When Nick saw that her phone was trying to connect to the mammals he considered his future in-laws he started to panic and attempted to pull her off. Though with only one good arm he wasn’t making much progress so he decided to beg, "Carrots, for the love of Karma get off my lap! If your parents see you sitting on my lap they're going to think that we've been-" he managed to stop himself when he caught a glimpse of Judy's phone showing that the video call had already connected displaying a very amused looking Bonnie.

While she enjoyed seeing her most unique daughter having some fun with her special fox Bonnie decided she would speak up, "Hello again you two. It's so good to see you, now if we could see those paws as well Nicholas?"

Nick recognized that tone of impatient mother and did not want to incur the wrath of the Hopps matriarch and raised both his paws in clear view of the camera. He realized too late his mistake, he had worn a tank top so he wouldn’t have to worry about his bandage catching on the sleeves. That meant that a lot of his scars were on full display as well as the bandage in question. He froze in shame, he didn’t like other mammals to see the marks, it tended to make them uncomfortable. 

Bonnie gasped in shock covering her mouth with a paw at the sight before her and she said, "Oh, you poor dear. Life has not been kind to you has it Nick? And why are you wearing that bandage? It looks brand new."

This was already not going how Nick and Judy wanted it to, and they had no idea how to get the call back on track. Nick lowered his arms and wrapped them around Judy's waist for both of their sakes. She smiled up at him, and he simply told Bonnie the truth, "I was attacked last night by a polar bear with a grudge, he didn’t like the idea of a fox reaching above it's perceived station. Thankfully we were given a heads up by a friend of mine, Finnick, and we were able to set up an ambush. I do not exaggerate when I say your daughter saved my life last night Bonnie, you should be very proud."

Bonnie's stomach dropped briefly, she didn't like hearing that her daughter was involved in another life or death situation, but on the other paw, it sounded like they handled it as best as they could. "I am incredibly proud of her Nick, we all are. I don't think we do enough to tell you that Judy. You two are okay though right?"

"We're great mom. Listen, is dad around? I have something that you both need to hear."

"Of course sweetie, I think he's puttering around here somewhere, let me take a look." Bonnie set her phone down and stepped away. 

Once she was out of the camera Nick asked, "Are you sure you want to stay on my lap Carrots?" He nuzzled the top of her head with his chin showing he was more than happy to have her remain there although he was still a bit apprehensive. 

Judy reached up above her head and scratched his muzzle eliciting a deep hum that she felt more than heard. "It's like a band-aid Slick, better to just rip it off quickly right?"

She felt a blast of warm air as he snorted in laughter while sniffing the top of her head. He didn’t stop rooting through her fur when he said, "Hmm, I hope it isn't that painful."

Judy giggled and tried to bat his nose away from her, "Stop sniffing me like that Slick! We're trying to tell my dad we're together, not give him a heart attack."

Nick didn’t stop as he replied, "Nope, don’t wanna. I can't tell where your scent ends and mine begins, it's intoxicating."

She grabbed his face and turned partway in his lap so she could kiss his stupid romantic face. Thankfully she wasn’t so lost in the kiss that she missed the sound of her parents walking back into the room. Judy spun back around in his lap and Nick took a moment to wrap his paws back around her waist. 

As Bonnie and Stu came walking back into frame Judy spoke up first, "Hey dad! How's the farm going?"

Stu was visibly confused to see his daughter in the lap of some fox but at hearing the mention of his farm; his pride and joy, he forgot all about that, "Oh it's going great Jude! We got a huge bumper crop of carrots coming in." Judy had to hush Nick as he started chuckling and poking her ribs. Even talk of carrots couldn’t distract Stu from what was happening on camera, "Hey Jude, Nick doesn’t want to hear all of this, and I'm sure he has something else to do right now…"

Nick's smile never wavered. It was annoying to hear mammals talk about him like he wasn’t even there, but Judy on his lap did ease the pain. He was trying to come up with something clever to say but Judy spoke up first, sounding just a little annoyed at her dad, "Actually dad, there is something I wanted to tell you. I'm seeing someone, and it's pretty serious."

Nick let out a pleased sounding chuckle at that but Stu cried out happily, "Oh you hear that Bon? Our little Judy is finally going to settle down!" Judy tried to interject but Stu was hopping up in down chanting out 'Yes' over and over again. Bonnie rolled her eyes and took a minute to calm him down enough for him to pay attention, "Wait, should you really be sitting that close to Nick when you're dating someone? Won't your buck get jealous?" While Nick did not like the idea of Judy dating some dumb buck, but he found it impossible to get riled up with her planted on his lap with his paws wrapped around her waist.

Judy couldn’t resist letting out a little chuckle, "Haha, no dad I don't think my boyfriend will mind. Do you think he will Slick?"

It was a dangerous game Judy was playing, but he couldn’t resist poking her dad, "I can't imagine he'd be upset. I mean, what would he even be mad about? You're just sitting on some fox's lap with his claws wrapped around your waist."

Stu's face began to turn red in anger, "Now you listen here Mr. Wilde! I do appreciate you keeping our little trier safe, but you shouldn’t be getting all pawsy with her!"

Judy realized he wasn’t going to figure it out on his own so she spelled it out for her father, "Dad! It's Nick, I'm dating Nick!"

Stu blinked a few times while Bonnie beamed just over his shoulder. When he finally recovered from shock he said, "Nick? Nick who?" there was a long drawn out silence before he cried out, "NICK WILDE? Nick you're dating Judy?! Judy, you and Nick?"

Nick cut him off before he could ramble further, "Yes sir, I'm dating your daughter, I happen to love her very much."

Stu's face flashed a dozen of different emotions: confusion, surprise, shock, and finally settling on reluctant acceptance. He took a deep breath and asked, "Will he make you happy Judy?"

Judy smiled and scratched Nick's muzzle again, "I can't imagine being happier dad. He's an amazing mammal and even better boyfriend."

Mr. Hopps blinked a few times and nodded before looking up a bit and asking, "And you Nick, you'll keep her safe?"

Nick brought his arms in to hold his bunny a little tighter, "Nothing matters more to me than her happiness and safety."

Stu let out a long sigh, "Geese honey bun, I… I can't say I like it, but if it'll make you happy I won't try and stop you. I'm not going to say that I'll always be perfect when it comes to the two of you, but I promise I won't stay in your way."

Judy was stunned, she never thought her father would be so understanding, "Just like that dad?"

His face fell slightly when he answered, "Judy, we all saw you when you came back from Zootopia. That spark you had ever since you could walk was just... gone. Your mom told me that it wasn’t just leaving your job that did that, she knew there must have been some heartbreak in there too. Even I can see that spark is back, and brighter than ever. I can't try and take that away from you Jude… it killed me to see you like that once, I don't want to see it again."

Judy smiled sweetly and said with a shaky voice, "Thanks dad, that means a lot to me."

Nick added, "To _us_ , sir." and he kissed Judy's head gently. 

Bonnie stepped forward, "Well Nick, you must be one heck of a mammal if you managed to attract the attention of our Judy. I'm happy for you two."

"Thanks mom. Though that isn't the only reason we called. I was hoping you could ship the rest of my stuff back to Zootopia. With me back on the force I don't know when I'll get a chance to come and get it myself."

Bonnie smiled, "It's already packed up for you sweetie, it just needs an address."

Stu was surprised to hear that, "Huh? Why is her stuff packed up?"

"Oh Stu, we both knew she wasn't coming back this time." The patriarch of the Hopps clan broke out in tears, Bonnie just rolled her eyes and said to the camera, "Just text me the address and I'll take care of the rest. Now I have to calm your father down."

Judy laughed softly at the display, "Thanks mom, I love you."

Nick spoke up as well, "I really can't thank you both enough Bonnie. It means more to me than you may know."

Bonnie waved her paw dismissively, "Oh pish posh dear, it's the least we can do for the mammal our daughter has fallen for. Good bye you two, we'll talk later!"

As the call cut out Nick gave Judy's rear a firm pinch making her cry out, "Ouch! What the hell was that for Slick?"

Nick sounded slightly dazed, "Sorry, I thought I must be dreaming with how well that went. I decided to pinch you to find out."

"Ha ha, that's not how that works Slick, and you know that." She fixed him with a glare for a few moments before her expression softened, "It really did go well didn't it? I never would have thought my dad would be so open to us being together."

"Just wait till he remembers we're _living_ together Carrots. Or when he finds out we've already made love. I'm not looking forward to that conversation."

Judy tried to convince herself that it would be fine, but she couldn't quite manage it. Eventually she said, "Well, we'll cross that bridge when we get to it I guess."

Nick turned his bunny back so she was sitting comfortably in his lap once again as he leaned back into the couch, "That we will Sweetheart, that we will."

The two of them sat there contentedly for a few minutes before Judy hopped out of his lap and said, "Alright I better get going!"

Nick frowned slightly, "Already? You don't have to be at work for over an hour…"

Judy didn’t want to tell him what she was going to be doing, but she couldn’t lie to him either. She sighed and said, "I need to talk to Mr. Big about Raymond and you."

Nick brushed the back of his paw across her face lovingly, "You don’t have to do that Carrots…"

"That's just is Slick, I do! It's eating me up inside knowing that they hurt you like that! I have to say something…"

Nick sighed, "What would you even say to him?"

"I'm going to tell him the truth, that we are _done_ with him and his organization."

"That's it?"

"That's all there is to say. Is that okay with you Nick?"

He chuckled, "Yeah Judy, that's more than okay. Before getting picked up at the limo parking lot I was already done with them. Do you want me to go with you?"

Judy could hear the trepidation in his voice, she knew if she asked him to he would come with her in a heartbeat, but he didn’t want to go. "No Slick, I want to do this for us."

Nick nodded and swallowed weakly not trusting his voice, so instead he simply kissed her tenderly. Judy moaned into the kiss and wrapped her paws around his neck pulling him deeper until the tender kiss turned into a full make out session. When they finally parted a few minutes later slightly out of breath with dopey grins fixed onto their faces Nick said simply, "Thank you Judy."

Judy beamed and said, "Anything for you Nick."

"Wait, what about Fru Fru and baby Judy?"

"I don't want to cut them out, so when we spend time together it will be _away_ from the Big compound. Now, I do need to finish getting ready!" She turned and made her way into the bathroom to brush her teeth and (now slightly mussed up) fur. 

Nick followed her to the bathroom, leaned on the door jamb trying his best to appear casual and said, "There's a bottle of musk-mask spray under the sink if you want it…"

Judy stopped her brushing and turned to her fox confused, "Huh? What would I need that for?"

Nick found it nearly impossible to maintain eye contact with her but managed to say, "To uh… to cover up my mark."

Judy turned back to the sink and said, "Oh is that all? Nah I'm good: I'd miss it. Besides, why would I want to cover it up?"

Nick was floored at her response, he was certain that she'd want to keep their involvement under wraps if not completely secret. When he was finally able to answer her he said, "Well, you work with a lot of predators, they'll know exactly what that scent means in an instant. It won't take long for the entire precinct to hear about it."

She considered his words for a moment before shrugging, "Oh well, I'm not going to cover it up. If anyone has a problem with it they can kiss my fuzzy little ass for all I care." Nick was at a loss for words so Judy continued, "A lot of mammals have turned their backs on you Nick, I will never be one of them. You know that right?"

Nick nodded and stepped behind her wrapping her up in a tight hug. He took a deep breath to help calm himself and kissed the top of her head, right between her ears saying, "Thank you."

Judy reached above her head and scratched the top of his muzzle, "I love you, you big, dumb, uncertain, perfect fox, and I am not ashamed of that."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello everyone! Thank you for taking the time to read as always! 3 Next time I upload (1/17/2021) will be a one shot chapter featuring the OTP WildeHopps. It's already written and proof read so hopefully I'll be able to use the time to get more done on Nick's Pain! :3


	24. Some Tense Words

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Judy barges in on Mr. Big to tell him off. But there may be some unforeseen consequences from their little conversation.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry this is a little late today, life's been crazy hectic lately. You'd think with 4 weeks between postings I'd have more time, but I've never been good at managing my free time.
> 
> Someone pointed out HR= Human Resources so I'm taking their suggestion and changed it to MR: Mammal Resources

Judy rolled down her window before she reached the gate. A large polar bear in a nice suit strode out of the guard house to see who it was but she spoke before he could question her, "Tell him Judy Hopps needs to talk to him… NOW."

The guard's lips pulled back in a silent snarl and he said in a think accent, "And what if he does not wish to speak with you?"

Judy shook her head at the stupid mammal's stupid question, "He will, and if, by some miracle, he doesn’t then obviously you won't open the gate and I'll be forced to drive away won't I?"

His mouth opened and closed soundlessly a few times as he tried to respond, but he was forced to turn back to his booth without saying a word. He closed the door behind him so Judy was unable to make out what he was saying but she didn’t have to wait for too long before the gate started opening and he waved her through with a frown. Judy followed the long curve of the driveway until she stopped right at the front door, killing the engine before stepping out of the car. As she strode towards the door it swung open revealing another polar bear, once again she did not give it time to speak, "Where is he?"

The bear blinked a few times: it was not used to being talked down to by smaller mammals, with one very special exception. When he shook his head clear she was already past him and he had to hustle to catch up, " _Mr. Big_ is in his study. This way please." With that he lead her down the corridors eventually stopping in front of a large ornate door, opening it for the small guest and stepping aside. As Judy walked by the polar bear sniffed the air in confusion, but she paid him no mind. 

Judy walked into the room with her head held high and stopped on the carpet covering a very dangerous trap door and stared at the artic shrew silently, for once allowing another mammal to speak first, "Good morning Officer Hopps. I must assume that you are here because of the run in you had with Raymond last night, yes?"

A thousand irrational thoughts ran through Judy's mind, but she managed to keep her composure and asked incredulously, "Run in? Is that what you call attempted murder? Because that's what happened and that's what he's being charged with."

The old shrew did like the spunk the little officer showed him whenever they talked, but he didn’t get to where he was by allowing mammals to speak to him like that, "Officer, I think you should remember where you stand when you talk to me. And I do mean that figuratively and very literally. Besides, no matter your evidence Raymond will be out on bail by the end of the day, and there's so much time between now and the trial."

Judy rolled her eyes, "Yes yes, you're a big bad mob boss. You're also an idiot."

One of the polar bears in the back of the room took a step towards her but Big raised a paw and he stopped dead in his tracks. Mr. Big than lowered the paw and said slowly, "Because I like you I will give you one chance to explain yourself _Miss_ Hopps. If I do not like your explanation…"

Judy pulled out her phone and pressed play before tossing it onto the desk right next to Mr. Big. For a minute everyone in the room was silent as the recording played. Once it ended Mr. Big jerked with a start, pulling himself from the trace it had placed him under. He managed to bark out a quick order before his voice failed him, "Leave us!" his guards obeying without question.

Once they were alone Mr. Big deflated into his chair and he let out a defeated sounding sigh. He dragged his paw over his face suddenly feeling very old and tired. He eventually lifted his head until he met her gaze and said, "Miss Hopps…"

Judy cut him off, " _Officer_ Hopps. I would appreciate it if you didn’t forget that."

"Of course, my apologies. Officer Hopps, I cannot begin to tell you how sorry I am. I... I've made a mistake. My God, what have I done?"

Judy picked up her phone, "You allowed a specist piece of crap to turn you against the best mammal your organization will likely ever know. The fact that it worked out for me is probably the only reason I'm not tempted to drag you in right now myself. Though I do want to make one thing incredibly clear Mr. Big: Nick and I are done with you. We will not be calling in favors, asking for help, or picking your brain ever again. Because I like Fru Fru, and I want to be a good godmother to baby Judy I will not be cutting them out of my life, just you."

He barely had the energy to nod once, saying, "I understand officer, it's probably for the best for both of us. Could you do an old fool one last favor?"

Despite her anger, Judy did feel a little poorly for the shrew and said, "Perhaps, what is it you want?"

"Could you tell Nick that I'm sorry, and that although I'll never make it up to him, I'd like to take the time to apologize in person if I could."

Judy nodded, "I'll pass it along, goodbye Mr. Big."

His voice was a little stronger when he replied, "Thank you and goodbye Officer Hopps."

After Judy left Mr. Big sat alone in his room for a long time, thinking about what he had heard, and what he would do about it. As much as he regretted losing his right-paw mammal, he would never tolerate betrayal such as what Raymond performed. He already had an idea on how he could help make things a little better for the pair and pulled out his phone, punching in the number for his attorney's office.

The phone rang only once before a friendly female voice came through, "Hooferson here, how can I help you today Mr. Big?"

"Please start your billable hours Ms. Hooferson."

The sound of a note being scribbled came through the phone, "Okay sir, please continue."

"Last night Raymond was arrested."

" _That's_ who it was. I suspected it was someone from your office, but I couldn't be positive. I'll ensure his bail isn't too high sir."

"Normally that would be exactly what I'd ask for, but not today my dear. He'll be charged with attempted murder, please ensure he goes away for a long time."

She didn't miss a beat, not hesitating for a moment to his bizarre request, "How long were you thinking?"

"How about 15 years with a chance of parole after 10?"

"Should be perfect: long enough to make the DA happy, without it being so long that they'll ask too many questions. If I may ask: why?"

Mr. Big considered the question for a moment, "He betrayed me, and he tried to kill Mr. Wilde last night before being arrested by Officer Hopps which has undoubtedly damaged my relationship with her beyond repair. This is something I will not forgive."

"I see sir. Is there anything else I can do for you today?"

"No, thank you, you've been wonderful. Just give your father my best when you see him."

Her voice was warm as she said, "Will do sir, have a good day."

"You as well." and he disconnected the call. It felt good to do something to help the bunny and her fox. Once upon a time he would have just gotten someone to slit Raymond's throat while he was in lockup, but he figured getting him put away with no fuss would do more to win favor with his favorite cop. He pondered the mystery of a fox marking a bunny, his nose may not have been as good as it once was but even he could still smell a scent mark when it was that fresh.

Well, maybe he could do something nice for the new couple to help make amends for his former favorite fox.

* * *

Judy parked the car in a free spot inside the ZPD parking garage. She moved to open the door but her phone chimed once causing her to pause. She took it out and saw it was a text from her favorite mammal: 'hey sweetheart, sorry I didn't go with you, I know I should have...'

Judy had time before the start of her shift so she decided to call him instead of replying to the text. He must have been holding the phone cause he answered straight away, "Hey Carrots, how'd it go?" He sounded a little apprehensive to her.

Judy felt a smile coming back onto her face just from hearing his voice, "It went as well as it could have. It's good to hear your voice Slick, I miss you already."

Nick chuckle, "I know how you feel, all I want to do is cuddle with you again and I'm agitated that you're not here. It's not unbearable, but your absence is noticeable."

Judy blushed deeply and was thankful that she didn’t opt to do a video call. She said, "I guess we'll just have to keep ourselves busy until my shift is over. Speaking of, I ran out so quickly this morning that I didn't get a chance to ask, what do you want to do when I get off work."

She could hear how proud he was of his answer, "Get you off."

She whined into the phone, "Niiick! What did I tell you about that?"

"You said not at work. I was guessing that you were still outside. Was I right?"

Judy grumbled slightly, "That's hardly the point. You still haven't answered what we should do when work is done."

His sounded very confident when he said, "Oh don't worry about that Fluff: I have a plan. But enough avoiding the first question, how did your visit go?"

"I'd bet my life that he had no idea Raymond was going to come after you last night, and I'd wager even more that hearing the recording broke his little heart. I feel a little badly for leaving things as they are, but I can't ignore the fact that he's the head of a crime family and I'm a cop. He did say he wants to apologize for everything, and in person if he could. You're under no obligation Slick." 

Nick sighed and said, "No, I think it'd be good for me to clear the air as well. I'll reach out in a few days and set something up. I can't thank you enough for doing what you did Judy."

"I think you've earned it Nick. Alright, I'm going to go clock in, will my fox be okay without me?"

"No, but I'll manage. I love you Judy, have a good day making the world a better place!"

"I love you too Nick. I'll see you soon."

It didn’t take long for Judy to get in her uniform which meant she still had about 15 minutes before Fangmeyer and Wolford were supposed to pick her up so she decided to spend her time waiting by the front desk. She didn’t want to bother Clawhauser, who was busy typing away at his computer, so she sat quietly nearby. As Clawhauser was reaching for another donut he paused and sniffed the air a few times before he looked up from his screen. He looked around for a moment before his eyes locked on Judy and he said, "Oh hey Judy! You getting ready for your shift?"

Judy jumped out of her seat and made her way to the desk, "Yup! My partners should be here soon. I like Fangmeyer and Wolford, they seem like solid cops from what I can tell."

"Yup, they've both had pretty good records even before they were paired up. You want me to call them and see if they'll be on the time?"

Judy leapt up and sat down on the counter, "Nah, if they're late they'll call it in."

Clawhauser nodded before he caught the scent he had been sniffing at earlier, but this time much stronger. He followed the strong smell of fox musk to the bunny sitting a few feet away. His jaw dropped as he managed to gasp out, "Oh, Em, Goodness! Judy, why do you smell like Nick? What have you been getting up to."

Judy blushed slightly but held her head high as she replied, "I don’t think that's any of your business Clawhauser."

Clawhauser placed his paws over his mouth and gasped, "Oh! I'm so sorry Judy! I didn't mean to pry I just…"

Judy cut him off, "I'm kidding Ben. I'd actually love to dish about it if you want."

Clawhauser deflated in relief, "You naughty bunny! You scared me half to death… I thought I was going to have to go to MR for overstepping my boundaries again. Well then spill it: why do you smell like Nick has had his paws all over you?"

She couldn’t keep the grin from spreading across her muzzle even if she wanted to, "Because he has. Oh sweet Serendipity his claws and pads feel so good Ben! Not to mention his teeth! I should be terrified, but he nipped all along my jaw and neck and I was putty in his paws."

"Oh, Em, Goodness. I hoped you two were going to start dating, you seemed so comfortable with each other, but I didn’t realize things were going _this_ fast."

Judy looked a little upset, "I'm actually afraid it’s going a little _too_ fast. I did a little research on red fox dating habits, they typically court each other for a long time to determine if they'd be a good match. Nick and I have only spent time together for a little over a week! And that was broken up by a 3 month separation. But I can't help it, when I'm with him I'm powerless to resist his charms."

Ben smiled at his friend, "Judy, why do foxes spend so long dating and getting to know each other before they start getting serious?"

"Because a red fox mates for life. If they are seriously committed they don't get any do overs, if one of them dies their mate will likely never fully recover. It also means divorce is incredibly low in the fox communities."

"Okay, would you ever leave Nick?"

Judy didn’t even hesitate when she answered, a bit of anger creeping into her voice, "No, never! I love him and I can't imagine being this happy without him."

"Well there you have it! You won't leave him, do you think he'd leave you?"

Judy wasn’t really thinking clearly and blurted out, "I already told you red foxes don't leave their mates…"

Clawhauser dropped the donut he was munching on and gasped out, "You two already…"

Judy shoved the dropped pastry back into his mouth to get him to stop talking, "I… well that is to say… well… yes, last night was our first time together. I won't lie and say we didn't, but please Benjamin, could you keep that part a little under wraps? I'm still the rookie here and I could do without the other officers thinking that I'm just a stereotypical bunny."

Ben had been planning on telling everyone in the building before his lunch break was over, but she was right, a lot of the officers would probably think less of her for jumping into bed with someone so quickly. Not to mention the hate she'd likely get for being in an interspecies relationship. Inters were not that common and pred-prey relationships ever less so. Ben made a solemn vow to himself at that very moment, that he would do everything he could to support the two lovers, and that included keeping the extent of their relationship a secret for the time being.

After he swallowed the rest of his donut Ben said, "Of course Judy, I won't tell a soul. Though you should probably talk to Bogo about it before too long. If you're not going to cover up his scent everyone will probably figure out you two are together before the week is up, and it'd be better if he heard about one of his officers sleeping with a potential recruit from you than the rumor mill."

Judy checked the clock on the wall, she still had 10 minutes before her temp partners should arrive. She was off the counter and running across the lobby a moment later, yelling back to the cheetah, "You're right Clawhauser. If Fangmeyer and Wolford show up before I get back could you let them know I'm with the Chief?"

"You got it! And good luck Hopps!"

Judy ran up the stairs as fast as she could and didn’t stop to think about what she was doing until her paw rapped against the door. Before she could rethink her recent decisions Bogo's voice boomed though the door, "Enter." and she decided it was best not to keep her boss waiting.

She stepped into the room and the chief spoke up, "Ah, Officer Hopps, I'm glad you stopped by. I wanted to tell you again that you and Nick did some good work last night. But I have to assume that you didn’t come by here to fish for compliments, what can I do for you today?"

The chief was being uncharacteristically nice which was slightly unsettling, but she decided to take advantage of his good mood. Once she was settled in the chair in front of his desk she said, "Ah, no sir, I actually came here to discuss something of a personal matter with you. Nick Wilde and I are… involved sir. I wanted to get it out in the open as soon as I could to avoid any potential issues or misunderstandings cropping up in the future."

Bogo didn’t reply for a long moment, instead his expression became darker and furious. He looked exactly as he did when she told Mrs. Otterton that she'd find her husband. He eventually took a deep breath and said with an even voice, "If I were a gambling mammal I'd be very rich right now."

Judy couldn’t quite understand what he was trying to say, "Sir?"

His expression lightened and he sat back in his chair, "Hopps, I saw you quite literally crawl into bed with him while he was still fully savage. I guessed you two would end up together, even back when I sent his paperwork to the Academy with my endorsement." 

"And you're okay with that sir?"

"Yes I am Hopps. I believe that you wouldn’t do anything to jeopardize your position as an Officer of the Law, or any cases you might work on. On top of that, I believe that Mr. Wilde wouldn’t do anything to jeopardize your relationship, which by extension means he'll be an excellent cop."

Judy couldn’t believe what she was hearing, "So you'll still let up be partners?"

Bogo went back to his paperwork, "Yes Hopps. Now if you'll excuse me I have this paperwork to get to, and your shift is about to start."

With that weight lifted Judy jumped out of her chair, "Yes sir! I'll make sure your faith in me isn't misplaced."

As she turned to go his phone started to ring. She continued to make her way to the door but she couldn’t help but overhear his side of the conversation, "Bogo here… Well, he was bound to get representation eventually… _She's_ here?... I see." and he hung up his phone before standing up, "Hopps come with me."

Judy wasn’t sure what he heard on the phone, but judging by his tone it wasn't anything good. The two of them walked out of his office and stopped at the balcony overlooking the lobby. He pointed to a white tailed deer making her way across the floor with a sense of purpose, "That is Ms. Hooferson, Mr. Big's personal lawyer. I'm not sure what she's even doing here. Whenever her firm represents one of his men it's almost always been one of her employees, I've never seen her personally come down to talk to a client while they were still in interrogation."

Judy was livid that after her little talk with Mr. Big he decided to send his personal lawyer down to get the charges dropped or reduced. It was all she could do to keep herself from screaming down to the bloodsucking bitch who was going to get the mammal who tried to kill her mate out of trouble. As she was staring daggers down at the deer Ms. Hooferson happened to glance up and spotted the bunny and buffalo looking down at her. She paused in her walking for a moment before she turned towards the stairs and made her way up towards the two of them.

As the white tailed deer approached Judy was on the verge of yelling at the lawyer but she wasn't given an opportunity as Ms. Hooferson spoke first, "Officer Hopps, I heard about what happened last night. I'd like to let you know that I am going to suggest Raymond pleas to attempted murder, 10 to 15 years."

Judy was stunned, and so was Bogo, though he was better at hiding it. When she was able to recover she asked, "Why would you tell us this? It can't be legal for you to inform us of your strategy before you even speak with the mammal you're representing."

"It may be slightly unethical, but it isn't illegal. As for why I'm telling you, I could tell my presence was upsetting you and your fellow officers, and I'd like to clear the air if I could. And while I will be representing Raymond Mr. Big is still my client, and he's the one who suggested the sentence."

"Don't you have a duty to serve in the defendants best interest, not your client's?"

"I believe this _is_ in his best interest."

Judy considered the deer's words for a moment before she said, "Well, I thank you for telling us. And… please pass along my thanks to your client if you would."

"Of course, now, have a good day officers." and she turned to go.

When she was out of earshot Bogo said, "Well, that went better than I would have expected. 10 to 15 years is about as good as we could have hoped for if I'm honest. She'll likely ask to get the DA to drop any other charges we come up with, like assault with a deadly weapon, but I'll still consider this one a win, and so should you Hopps."

Judy took a deep breath, letting go of her anger, "I do sir. Now, if you'll excuse me, I think I see my partners down there."

"Stay safe out there officer." and with that he turned back to his office while she made her way downstairs. 

As Judy approached the tiger and wolf pair Fangmeyer greeted the little officer, "Hopps, good to see you. Clawhauser told us you were up with the chief. Rumor has it you got into a little scrape last night with a goon working for Mr. Big."

"Come on Fangmeyer, you know that if I were to spill details on an ongoing case it could comprise our work…" The large tiger smirked at her before Judy continued, "Alright, twist my arm why don't you. I'll tell you all about it while we're on patrol." The three officers moved to head out and Judy waved goodbye to the desk officer, "Bye Clawhauser! We'll talk more later."

"Have a good patrol Hopps."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, people seemed to enjoy my one shot story (Social Lubricant) I posted the other week! I appreciate all the nice feedback, so if I come up with any other ideas for one shots or crazy short stories I might take some time to post them too!


	25. After Work Relaxation

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Judy comes home from work to find her fox has planned some surprises for her.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Fair warning, have your insulin nearby as this chapter is painfully fluffy. Also some smut, but I'm not sorry about that.

Nick was finishing setting up in the bathroom when his phone chimed that there was movement on the camera facing the garage doors. Guessing that it was his mate returning home he walked out into the warehouse to greet her personally. He heard the engine cutting off as he made his way over to see her stepping out of the car still in her uniform. She spotted him approaching and smiled at him sweetly and began to walk towards him. When she was a few steps away she leapt up into his arms, being careful of his bandage, and berried her face into his chest. Nick hummed happily and took a moment to reapply his mark as he held her gently. Once he was satisfied he said softly in her ear, "I missed you Fluff, and it was only a half day. I don't know how I'm going to survive a full day without you, let alone the academy."

Judy snuggled closer into his arms and said, "I know how you feel. Hopefully by the time you leave we'll have calmed down at least a little. Besides, it's not the army, you do have the weekends off, you can either come back to town, or if I happen to have the weekend off as well…"

Nick started making his way back to their home, "Hmm? What if you do have the weekend off Carrots?"

Judy purred in his arms seductively, "Well, there are a few hotels not to far from the academy. We could check into a room, order room service for every meal and not leave the room once."

"We'll get lazy if we stay in the room all weekend. We'll have to do something to stay active… any ideas?"

"I might have a few, you'll have to wait and find out."

Nick chuckled before setting his bunny back down on the floor. He took a moment to help her out of her new vest, "How was this by the way? It wasn't too heavy for you to wear all day?"

"It was noticeably heavier, but not too heavy."

"Well that's good to know Carrots. Now why don't you hop on down to the bathroom for your first surprise."

"Surprise? How many surprises do you have for me? Besides, don't you want to help you out of my uniform?"

Nick cupped her cheek and kissed her once sweetly, "Today? I have three for you today. And I'd love to help you undress, but I fear we would get sidetracked…"

"Well, I guess I should see what the first one is then…" and she made her way over to the bathroom. Inside she found the lights off, but the room was still partially illuminated. Scattered around were several small candles all burning brightly including a few along the rim of the bathtub. She noticed after a moment that the tub was already full of bubbles and testing the water found it was pleasantly warm. She stripped out of her uniform and climbed into the tub. Once she was situated she closed her eyes and began to relax in the warmth of the bath.

As she let out a deep sigh of contentment Judy heard some light music like you'd hear at a spa start. She sat up in the tub and spotted a small Bluetooth speaker sitting on the tank of the toilet, Nick must have been playing music for her. She smiled to herself thinking about her thoughtful fox and lowered herself back into the water. After she lounged there for a few minutes she decided it was time to start washing herself clean. As she started running her paws through her fur she had the urge to start playing with herself while thinking of Nick, but she resisted: she was pretty sure she could convince her fox to take care of her needs without too much trouble, and she wanted to see what his other two surprises were.

Once she was done with her bath she drained the water, rinsed herself off, and stepped out. She wiped herself down with a towel and turned on the fur dryer. After she was dried off she spotted a robe hanging from the door that was clearly too small for Nick. She pulled it down and marveled at how soft and fluffy it was. It was brand new and just her size making her wonder when her fox got it for her, but it didn't matter at the moment so she slipped it on and tied the belt around her waist. She took a moment to blow out the candles, just to be safe, before stepping out of the bathroom to her second surprise. The floor was littered with rose petals leading from the bathroom to the closed bedroom door.

Judy opened the door slowly, anticipating what would be revealed. She was not disappointed: Nick was sitting on the edge of the bed wearing only a pair of boxers with a rose held in his teeth. The rose petals continued to the foot of the bed, and there was music playing here too, though instead of soothing tones, this was slow jazz, doing nothing to quench the fire beginning to burn in her loins. She laughed softly as she slowly made her way across the room, "Ha, you're so damn corny Nick." She reached up and took hold of the rose and Nick opened his mouth slightly allowing her to pull it from between his teeth. She took just a brief moment to hold it close while sniffing its aroma before looking back up at her mate.

Nick reached down and picked her up bringing her in close before he whispered, "You know you love me."

"Do I know that? Yes, yes I do. No matter how corny this may be it's also incredibly romantic. I can't believe you did all of this for me."

Nick stood up, hugging her tightly as he started to sway back and forth, turning on the spot. "Well, don't expect it everyday. Rose petals are a total pain to clean up off of carpet."

Judy sounded a little amused when she asked, "Oh? And how does my fox know that? How many females have you swept off their paws with this little trick?"

He chuckled, kissed the top of her head and said, "You're the first Carrots. I know how much of a pain they are from a hustle I ran a few February's ago."

Judy let out a laugh, "Okay, this I have to hear!"

Nick adjusted his grip on her, keeping his paws away from the areas he really wanted to explore for now. "Well I caught wind of a shipment of roses that came into town on a faulty refridgorator truck. By the time anyone realized what happened the roses were all completely dead and wilted. The flower shop didn't want them, and the vendor didn't want to ship them back, so I stepped in, bought them at a _heavy_ discount and got to work. There were enough roses still serviceable to make a few bouquets, but the rest were totally worthless. So I took them, removed all the petals and soaked them in perfume scented water. That did a lot to get them vibrant and soft again so I sold little bags of them with a couple candles as last minute Valentines gifts. I bet if you checked the populations of the distracts I sold them in you'd see a noticeable increase for the next few months."

Judy rubbed herself against his chest and said softly, "I think you're right. It's working on me…"

"Good to know, but I have something else in mind for the time being." He set her down on the bed and flipped her onto her stomach. He carefully brought the robe down off her shoulders and helped her extract her arms one at a time, folding the robe at her waist leaving her back exposed. He straddled her legs, then brought his paws down and started applying light pressure to her back rubbing tenderly. As he started getting into a rhythm, massaging her gently, he said, "I did a little research on rabbit massages. It's not too difficult from what I gathered, you just need to tell me how much pressure you want."

Judy was already on cloud 9, "Mmmm, a little harder please Slick. So, no rose petals everyday, but how often can I expect this?"

Nick added extra strength to his work and said, "Well, whenever we free time and you want it I suppose."

"Really? That often? I think you'd get sick of it pretty quickly."

"I don't think you understand just how much I enjoy running my paws all over you body Fluff."

Judy didn't reply, instead she laid there feeling him work the kinks out of her muscles with his perfect paws. They were so large compared to her smaller frame that it didn't take too long for him to finish working on her back and shoulders so he moved on to her legs. He didn't replace her robe on her back, instead lifting the cloth in question so the only thing still covered was her rear. He started with her paws, she tensed for a second thinking he might take the time to torture her with tickles, but immediately relaxed again when instead he worked his paws into her flesh forcing a moan from her lips. Nick smiled wickedly to himself but remained quiet. When he finished with her paws he moved on to her calves and finally her thighs. During his work she kept gasping and moaning in pleasure she'd never had a massage before so there was a lot of tension he was working out. His paws drifted to the edge of the robe more than a few times, and she was sure he could smell just how impossibly aroused she was, but he still didn't say a word. His actions weren't directly sexual, but it was still making her wild with desire.

He eventually moved up so he was sitting just behind her behind and as he leaned forward to talk she could feel something poking her through the robe. He whispered in her ear, "I'm going to remove the robe now Judy."

Her head had been buried in her arms since he'd started on her legs so she just nodded eagerly, she was afraid that if she opened her mouth she'd just beg him to take her right away. Nick smiled and nipped the base of one of her ears lightly pulling another gasp from his bunny. He scooched back just a little and reached around to undo the knot quickly with a few twists of his paw. Once it was untied he pulled the robe off and tossed it carelessly to the floor. Judy wasn't sure what he was planning to do, but she knew what she wanted and she arched her back slightly, presenting herself to her mate. Nick seemed to ignore this and began to massage her firm cheeks, one in each paw. There was noting she could do to suppress her moans as he eventually stopped massaging and moved to full on groping her ass, pushing his paws into her flesh lightly before gripping firmly and pulling them apart slightly giving him a mouthwatering view.

She lost track of everything around her as he continued to play with her butt. She was eventually brought out of her stupor when he asked her, "You know what I want right now Judy?"

Judy raised her rear even further in the air, showing off her dripping pussy and said, "I think I do…"

Nick said, "Alright then, I'm going to make myself a sandwich, you want anything from the kitchen?"

He was already off the bed and halfway across the room by the time she caught what he had said. Her face displayed a dozen different emotions in a single instant, settling on fury. Judy dove off the bed with a frustrated scream, intent on tacking her insufferable fox and taking him there on the floor if that's what she had to do. He moved faster than she thought possible and turned while she was in midair and caught her in his arms. Nick spun in place, using her own momentum to toss her effortlessly back onto the bed, landing on her back dazed at the speed he moved. Before she could recover he was between her legs, forcing them apart with his paws to look at her hungrily.

As he moved his muzzled down Judy groaned out, "Just take me already Nick!"

He stopped with his nose a fraction of an inch from her sopping lips and said with mock disappointment, "I spend all this time making a delicious meal and you don't want me to savor it? Seems like a waste to me." He punctuated his point by taking an exaggerated lick between her legs.

Judy gasped and grabbed onto his ears keeping him firmly in place which he correctly took as a sign to keep up his work lapping up her juices. As he dug his tongue into her folds she managed to cry out, "Oh, do what you want… just don't stop!"

Nick brought his paws under her ass and lifted her slightly allowing him better access to what he was after, letting him lick her even deeper. She felt his teeth press against her stomach and rear as he opened his jaw wider taking her in his gaping maw. No matter how deep he was able to get Judy clung onto his ears trying to pull him in deeper. One of his paws made their way up to her bare chest and started to alternate between teasing her modest breasts with his paw and pinching her erect nipples lightly with his claws. He managed to drag his mouth back even against her tugging, giving him a chance to attack her clit with kisses. Judy writhed in pleasure while he continued his assault on her pussy. It didn't take long for her to start cumming in his mouth as he slipped his tongue back into her convulsing folds. As her orgasm started to taper off he slowed down his tongue.

As she was able to get her breathing back under control she managed to gasp out, "Oh… Nick. That was incredible! Are you ready for the main event?" She managed to smile down at the fox who was currently licking his lips looking rather pleased with himself.

Nick grinned back up at her and said, "I am. Are you? You mentioned you were a bit sore this morning… I don't want to pressure you into anything."

Her heart melted at hearing his concern for her comfort, "I love you for checking up on me Nick… but if you don't fuck me right now I might have to get violent with you."

Nick broke out laughing for just a moment before he started crawling up her body. He knew he could spend the next hour pleasing her and teasing her, but he'd be lying if he said he wasn't as desperate to take her as she was to be taken. She grabbed his muzzle when it drew close to her own and dragged him in to a long kiss, moaning into his mouth. When they pulled apart he said, "Well, we don't want you getting violent now do we officer." and he lined up his throbbing cock with her pussy slowly pushing himself into his mate. She didn't even catch when he pulled off his boxers but she was well beyond caring. He slid himself forward, agonizingly slowly, until his knot was pressed up against her lips. Judy was clinging to him with both paws wrapped around his neck as he slid one of his behind her back holding her tightly.

Nick dragged his member out slowly then he began to pick up his pace as he started rocking his hips back and forth. Judy bit down on his collar bone trying in vain to keep her screams in check. Nick winced at the bite, but didn't slowdown his thrusts as he said, "As cute are your nibbles are Judy, I want to hear your moans."

Judy said a muffled, "Noooo."

Nick cradled her head, "Please?"

She took a moment and eased off, eventually pulling away from his flesh and the room filled with the sounds of her cries of pleasure mixing with the wet slaps from their hips that were already present. Nick brought his paws down to her hips and sat up on his knees dragging her with him. Once he was in position he began fucking her in earnest making Judy cry out in ecstasy. Judy was being held up entirely by her fox, completely at his mercy, and loving every second of it. She trusted him to take care of their needs without hurting her, and so far, she was blissfully correct.

Judy lost track of how long they were making love, but it didn't matter in the slightest to her. Nick pulled her ears slightly drawing a gasp from her lips before he smashed his mouth into hers kissing her deeply. When he pulled away from their kiss he groaned out, "I'm close Judy. Do you want me to knot you again?"

Judy managed to cry out, "I'll never forgive you if you don't!" before she wrapped her paws around him again and began pulling in time with his trusts forcing him even deeper into her pussy. Nick smiled and gave her another kiss before he started to pull down on her hips even harder spreading her lips even further with his knot. It didn't take them long to force his knot into her. She bit down on one of her paws which did little to stifle her scream as she came again. Feeling her clamping down on his length and especially his knot Nick wasn't far behind her, he let out a loud growl as he pressed the tip of his dick up against the opening to her womb and started cumming filling her completely in just a moment.

As his cum started to taper off he brought his paws up and started stroking his bunny's ears while humming softly. Judy nuzzled her face into his chest and sighed in contentment. Still holding her tightly he fell down onto his back softly and brought her with him. Nick kissed the top of her head before grabbing a nearby pillow and resting his head.

After a minute just laying there together, their paws idly petting each other softly, Judy said, "Oh Nick, those were the three greatest surprises ever. I love you."

Nick took a deep breath, causing her to lift slightly as his chest expanded. He held his breath for a moment, trying the get his heartrate back down, at least a little, before he said, "I love you too Sweetheart, but all of that was just the second surprise. You still have one more coming. No pun intended. Though it'll have to wait a bit I suppose."

Judy smiled warmly, "I don't mind waiting like this."

They laid there quietly for a few more minutes, Nick stroking her ears softly while she traced some of his many scars on his chest and arms. She was getting ready to ask about a particularly nasty mark near his shoulder when Nick cut the silence, "Judy, there are some things we should probably talk about." His tone was serious and nervous, but Judy didn't feel worried: whatever he wanted to talk about she knew he loved her and wanted to be with her so there was nothing for her to panic about.

Judy nodded her head and propped herself up on her paws so she could look him in the eyes, "Go ahead Nick, I'm listening."

Nick swallowed weakly before he said, "So we rushed into the physical side of our relationship a little earlier than I think we were expecting." He paused for a moment letting Judy respond with a shy nod before he continued, "I don't regret that, not one bit. I just think there's a few things we should discuss, and the sooner the better."

Judy didn't interrupt, instead she just smiled at her considerate fox as he finished his thought, "I've cum inside you a few times now, and I know the odds of me actually getting you pregnant are slim to put it lightly."

"About one in ten million actually for a stable healthy hybrid." Judy supplied much to his amusement.

"Of course you did the actual research. Anyway, what I wanted to talk about is what we would do if you _did_ get pregnant."

She realized he was right, this is something they should have discussed before they made love without protection, especially with him knotting her like they had, forcing every drop into the deepest parts of her. She tried to answer his question with another question, "Well, what would you want to do?"

Nick shook his head, "What I'd want doesn't matter nearly as much as what you'd want. If you don't have an answer that's fine, I did kinda spring this on you out of nowhere."

Judy smiled, "No you didn't. You're right, we should have talked about this before, and I do have an answer. If you somehow managed to put a kit in me, if there was a _chance_ that kit would be healthy, I'd keep it. Every time."

Nick's eyes welled up with tears, knowing that she'd have his kit, no, that she _wanted_ his kit was almost more than he could take. He wrapped his paws behind her back and crushed her with a tight hug as he let out a sob. Judy knew it was tears of joy that were spilling from his eyes, but it broke her heart none the less. Even now it seemed like he expected her to deny him, to turn away from his love, to break his heart all over again. She couldn't reach his head comfortably due to his knot, but she stretched up and scratched his chin anyway to give him as much comfort as she could.

Eventually he calmed down and stopped crying. Once he was finished Judy said, "You're a great mammal Nick, even if we can't have a kit of our own, I would like to raise a child with you. Not right away of course, let's get you settled into the ZPD first, but after that, we could adopt! There are always kits in need of a good home, and I think we could give them that home."

Nick grabbed her face and kissed her fiercely, trying to convey his passion and his love for her in that simple motion. When they broke off the kiss Nick said, "Thank you Judy."

Judy smiled, "You don't have to thank me for loving you Nick. You just have to love me too."

"I do Judy, with all of my heart." He grabbed the blanket that had bunched up nearby and dragged it over the two of them, "Okay, I don't know about you, but after that emotionally and physically draining episode, I need a nap."

Judy hummed and laid herself out flat on his chest, though she did say coyly, "Oh? Are you trying to tell me you didn't take a nap while I was off at work?"

Nick chuckled weakly, "Not today I didn't, I was too busy getting your surprises ready!"

"I still want to know what the last surprise is…"

Nick grabbed his phone from of the night stand and set a timer for 30 minutes, "Alright Carrots, we'll check it out in half an hour. Sound good?"

"Sounds perfect Slick."

* * *

30 minutes later the chirping of his phone woke Judy up. Nick's dick had already retreated back into his sheath and freed her. Nick on the other paw was still trapped in dreamland even through his phone's alarm so she had to poke and prod him a few times to get him to stir and eventually rise from their bed. Nick slipped on some shorts while Judy put on some panties and her new robe. Once they were both somewhat presentable Nick walked over to her and kissed the top of her head sweetly if somewhat tiredly. Judy grabbed his muzzle and got up on her tip toes to give him a kiss of her own.

Once that was taken care of Judy said, "Okay, no more delays! I want my surprise!"

Nick swept her off her feet, "What my bunny wants, my bunny gets." and he strode out of their room. She wrapped one of her arms around his neck and with her other stroked his chest absent mindedly. She was mildly curious about where he was taking her as he stepped out into the rest of the warehouse but she didn't mind as long as he was going to carry her the whole way. He made his way over to the garage area and stopped in front of the smaller of the two covered shapes. He set her down and stepped back nodding for her to go ahead.

Judy was practically vibrating with excitement as she pulled the cloth covering off with a flourish. She wasn't sure what she was expecting, but a rabbit sized Hogly Davidson cruiser motorcycle was not on the list. This tarp was here the day Nick got out of the hospital, when on earth did he even get it?

After taking a moment to admire the beautiful looking machine and to run her paws over the gentle curves she turned to her fox and demanded, "Okay Slick, when did you even pick this up? It was already here when we got back from the hospital, which means that you had it before I came back and apologized!"

Nick smiled at her, "Nothing gets by my beautiful bunny. I bought it about a month after we parted ways. I saw an ad for it in the Zootopia Times and it made me think of you. It was nice and cheep so I picked it up."

Judy's eyes were shimmering slightly when managed to choke out, "Why?"

Nick knelt down on one knee and drew her into a hug, he couldn't look at her as he answered, "When I bought it I actually couldn't have told you. It was cheep: the previous owner took the whole engine apart for some reason, but he died before he could reassemble it so his widow was selling it to get it out of her garage. Of course when I, a fox, showed up to buy it she tried to double the price, thinking that it must be valuable if some lowlife was trying to buy it. Well anyway, I wasn't sure what I was going to do with it, I kept telling myself once it was finished I'd smash it, or burn it, or feed it to a grinder, but I think I was actually going to load it up on a trailer and take it to Bunnyburrow. Either way, I wanted to fix it up first."

That peaked her interest, "To Bunnyburrow?"

"Yeah, I think I was going to take it to you as a kind of an apology. Course you never gave me the chance, I was dragging my paws the closer I got to finishing my work, but even so, I was only a day or two from being done when you came back. I guess it was a good thing I took my time eh? What if I came to Bunnyburrow a week before you got the missing piece to the Night Howlers, or Karma forbid, I ended up at your family's home minutes after you left to find me?"

Judy was at a complete loss of words so she showed him what she thought of his final surprise. She grabbed his muzzle and kissed with an intensity that took both of them by surprise, knocking him onto his back. She was all over him, shifting between peppering him with kisses about his neck and chest and making out with his perfect muzzle. She would have likely taken him right there on the floor if her stomach hadn't intervened by growling loudly; with her swinging by Mr. Big's late that morning she'd ended up skipping lunch. They both stopped for a moment before breaking out in laughter together.

As she helped him back onto his paws Nick said, "Well, I'm glad you like your present Judy."

"Like it? I absolutely love it! I need to sign up for some motorcycle classes so I can get my license!"

Nick took her paw in his and starting off towards the living quarters, "Luckily for you, I know a mammal. You can start night classes right after I ship off to the academy. I considered trying to get you a spot earlier, but I'm selfish so I want every spare moment with you I can squeeze out. Now come one Carrots, I have dinner all ready in the fridge, you sound famished."

Judy grinned up at him wickedly, "I'm hungry enough to eat a fox…" She even licked her lips to emphasize her point.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello everyone. Thank you for reading my latest chapter! I hope you all liked it. Please feel free to leave a review as I love them all. <3


	26. Trouble at Home

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Not all of the Hopps' are happy about Judy being with Nick.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello, sorry for the late/shorter chapter. Just got a promotion at work (apparently they haven't found out I'm a complete fraud lol) and it's kicking my ass. Hopefully it'll calm down soon, but updates may be delayed. I know that phrase probably sent shivers down your collective spines, but I promise it's not a hiatus or cancelation.
> 
> I don't own Zootopia.

Saturday was a great day for Nick and Judy. It didn't start great when Nick had woken up at 2 in the morning in a cold sweat, some forgotten nightmare disturbing his sleep. Judy was pressed up against his front, his paws holding her even as he slept. He took a deep breath in through his nose, to get her scent mixed with his mark, and his troubles faded away. He rolled into his back, dragging his bunny with him and relaxed, sleep quickly taking him once again. 

Hours later they woke up together in the nude with Judy laying on top of her fox as they hadn't felt the need to get dressed when the fell asleep. After they got out of bed Judy dragged him off for another run and already his pre-coma endurance was beginning to return. Once their run was done the two shared breakfast and then it was time to hit the books. Judy quizzed him on the stuff he'd been studying before moving on to some new topics. Nick tried to convince his bunny to sit on his lap to study once again, but she managed to remain resolute. 

After that they had a quick lunch and moved out into the warehouse for a brief work out session. Then they had a shower together where they _mostly_ managed to keep their paws to themselves. Their restraint was do to the fact that once they were showered and dressed they geared up and made their way over to Nick's bike for their first real ride together. Just as they had planned a few days ago they cruised through the Meadowlands. They were able to talk thanks to their headsets which was nice, though the conversations were mostly about little landmarks Nick knew about here and there. Nick stopped off at a smoothie shack he knew of and they shared an afternoon treat in one of the district's many fields. 

* * *

While the two of them were out having a pleasant ride, 211 miles away Bonnie was dialing every number she could think of frantically. Three of her sons had apparently taken it upon themselves to deliver Judy's belongings personally. This by itself would not have sent the Hopps matriarch into a panic, but it was the three who left that caused such fear to course through her veins. Justin, Henry and Steve were old enough to remember their pappy's horribly specist remarks before he mercifully passed on. Bonnie took a moment to reflect sadly that she and Stu never took a firmer stance against his more objectionable statements. They would just say things like, 'He's from a different time' or 'That's just how Pappy is'. But now she wished more than anything that they'd told their children just how wrong he was and how unacceptable he acted most of the time. 

As her phone was ringing while trying to connect to one of her cousins who lived on the edge of Bunnyburrow one of her daughters named Samantha came bursting into her bedroom, "Mom! Dad says no one out in the fields have seen them since noon. But that's not the worst of it, I had a hunch and checked out dad's den; his gun safe was unlocked and I think one of his shotguns was missing. I can't be sure, I don't know how many he owns!" 

Bonnie suddenly felt calm and hung up her phone before it connected. She dialed her most adventurous daughter and said, quite fury dripping from her mouth, "That tears it, if Judy doesn’t lock them up I'm gonna kill them myself, so help me Serendipity. Taking a gun, it's too far."

* * *

Nick and Judy stepped off his motorcycle and pulled their helmets off. Judy fixed her fox with a look while he eyed her up and down, an easy grin on his muzzle. He stepped towards her and grabbed her jacket zipper between two of his claws and lowered it painfully slowly while she let out a pleased sounding hum. Once her jacket was open he rested his paws on her hips just holding her for a moment, staring into her amethyst eyes. Just as he was about to drag her into his embrace her phone began to buzz. 

Judy groaned, "Damn it, just when things were getting good... might as well see who it is." She pulled her phone out and said, "Huh, it's my parents. I'm going to answer this Slick." Nick nodded and took her helmet, hanging it up nearby while she answered her cell, holding the camera out in front of herself.

"Hello!"

"Judy, are you okay?!"

"Hey mom, yeah, I'm fine. Why wouldn’t I be? What's going on?"

There was a pause as Bonnie hesitated before she answered, "Judy, 3 of your brothers took your package and one of the trucks and I have to assume they are headed to your place. Are you with Nick?"

Nick was still close enough to hear everything being said and replied, "Yes, we're at home together Bonnie. But, why do you sound so worried?"

"Because, the three brothers are Justin, Henry and Steve."

Those names caught Judy's attention, and her voice was cool when she replied, "Well, whatever idiotic plan they have, Nick and I can handle those three jerks."

Bonnie grimaced on her end and said, "Normally I'd agree with you, and say it's exactly what they'd deserve. But one of your sisters just informed me that someone opened your father's gun safe. I don't know what's missing, but they think it's one of his shotguns. I've also been calling all around town, those three might have picked up a few other like minded mammals before setting off to Zootopia."

Nick stepped back into frame, his face a mask of cold fury, and asked, "By like minded may I assume specist as hell?"

Bonnie looked ashamed but didn’t avoid the question, "Yes, you're right. Stu and I tried to raise our kits right, but… sometimes we didn’t do the best job I suppose."

She was clearly miserable, and Nick didn’t want to add to her distress, he tried to sound warmer when he said, "With 275 kits, not all of them are going to be saints. Now, if you'll excuse me, I have to get ready for our guests." Tears were spilling from Bonnie's eyes, and she just nodded her thanks. He turned and started walking back to their living area, letting out a single curse of frustration once he was off camera, "FUCK!" though the mic still picked him up clearly.

Judy had more questions, "When did they leave mom?"

Bonnie was doing her best to keep it together, though she was on the verge of hysterics, "I've been calling everyone I could think of, from what I can piece together from mammals who've seen them they left Bunnyburrow about 2 hours ago." 

"Well, that should give us some time before they get here. Mom, I've got to go now… I'll try to make sure they don't get hurt."

That statement burned through the sadness and lit a fire in Bonnie, "Judy, they brought a shotgun to threaten my daughter's boyfriend, the same mammal who saved her life on more than one occasion. Just make sure you and Nick are safe, that's all that matters. I'm so sorry this is happening to you two. I can't help but think this is our fault, your father and I, for always being so afraid of predators."

Judy wanted to hang up and be with her mate right now, but she needed to finish with her mom first, "Mom, you and dad did your best. Everything you did was out of love for your kits, not hatred of others, that's all anyone can do. I'll call you when we're done."

Bonnie was weeping openly by now and gasped out, "I love you Judy. Stay safe."

Judy hung up and ran after Nick. When she got inside the living room he was finishing putting his vest on. His face would have been unreadable to anyone else, but his bunny could see he was unsure and upset. He swallowed once before he said, "How do you want to play this? We could leave and hope they get board, leave before we come back. We could stay and try to talk them down."

Judy grabbed her own vest and they started putting it on together as she replied, "Nick, we're not leaving our home, and we're not going to try and talk our way out of anything when they're they ones in the wrong. We're going to lock the doors and call the cops."

That took him by surprise, all his ideas were on how to avoid confrontation, "Just like that, you'd sell out your own brothers?"

She brushed her paw across her fox's face, cupping his muzzle softly, "Nick, I'm not selling out my brothers, I'm protecting my mate. If they'd come between me and you Nick, then they're going down."

Nick fell down on his knees and drew her in close, weeping softly, she once again proved that she would not turn her back on him and he was torn that he doubted her, even for a moment. He half expected her to tell him to leave while she told her brothers to get lost, but she was willing to get the cops involved, likely throwing them behind bars in the process. 

Judy started stroking his ears softly, but time was of the essence so she needed him to move, "Nick, I'm sorry, but they could be here any minute. I'll call dispatch, can you make sure the doors are locked? And while you're at it, start the recording on the cameras: it'll make tossing their sorry asses away all the easier."

Nick nodded silently, not trusting his voice, and kissed the top of her head. He managed to whisper, "Thank you." before he stood up and made his way out to check the doors. Just because he knew they were all locked, it couldn’t hurt to double check. 

Once he was away Judy pulled her phone back out and called the local dispatch. The mammal answered after just two rings, "Precinct 1 dispatch, how may I direct your call?"

Judy steeled her voice, "Hello Precinct 1, this is officer Hopps, badge number 2788."

Just like that the mammals voice dropped the fake pleasantries that every phone operator uses, becoming all buisness, "Go for traffic Hopps."

The dispatcher was either _way_ to into their job, or ex-military, "I have reason to believe that a number of armed rabbits are on the way to my current location within the next 15 minutes. I require backup ASAP, how copy?" She knew the lingo too.

"Solid copy Hopps, armed suspects inbound. Just need your 20."

"71 Stow Drive in Savana Central."

"71 Stow, solid copy. Standby." Judy waited for a minute as the dispatcher was no doubt trying to contact anyone nearby. It didn’t take long for the mammal to come back on the line, "Hopps, McHorn and Pennington will be there as soon as they can. They are less than 5 minutes out."

Judy was ecstatic, the hide on the rhino and elephant duo would make them all but invulnerable to the pellets of a bunny sized shotgun. "Thank you dispatch, send all traffic to this line."

"Understood Hopps, standby for McHorn, and good luck."

After a moment there was an audible click and Judy heard the sounds of police sirens. Before she could say anything a booming voice came through the phone, "Hopps, are you okay?"

Judy was touched at the concern in his voice, but decided not to comment on it for now, "For now we're fine. The mammals in question haven't arrived yet."

"Good, we'll be there soon. Dispatch said they were bunnies, would they be anyone you know?"

Judy started to make her way out to find her fox as she answered, "Sadly yes: they're my brothers. I have no proof that they intend to do something violent, but it seems likely. My mom called and said they took my dad's shotgun when they left."

"Oh, sorry to hear that… uh, Francine and I will be able to handle all of that without issue. I want you to stay inside with the doors locked if you can until we arrive."

"Now hang on a minute! I'm a cop too, I can help."

"Yes you are a cop Hopps, and a damned good one. Now listen to the senior officer and stay safe until we get there. We may need your help once your brothers arrive, but for now: trust your fellow officers." 

"Fine, I will. I have to put you on hold for now." 

"Wait Hop-" and the line was silenced. Judy could have stayed on the line until they arrived, but she was worried about her fox. She spotted him setting the bolts on the garage doors, but he was still clearly agitated, his paws were constantly clenching and relaxing. She placed a paw on one of his and he flinched slightly as he completely missed her approaching. 

He relaxed a moment later and said, "That's the last door, we're secure." His tone was distant and sad.

"That's good, I was able to get ahold of dispatch and officers McHorn and Pennington are on their way. Are you okay Nick?"

Nick turned to look at his bunny and said, "Just thinking that we should've had your mom send your package to my PO box instead of straight here."

Judy chuckled softly at his weak joke, "I'm serious Slick, I need to know you're okay."

Nick knelt down and drew her into a tight hug, "I love you Judy, I'm just sorry for what you have to go through just to be with me. You've made it abundantly clear that you're willing to pay that price, it just hurts to see the bill come up so often."

She kissed his cheek once, whispering in his ear, "You sentimental old tod, I'm not losing anything I'll miss. But I wouldn’t say no to you holding me until backup get's here."

Nick sat down against the wall and pulled her into his lap curling up around her. They both knew they would do anything to stay together, but that didn’t mean their emotions were fried. As Nick stroked her ears he started to relax, and the scent of his mark on her fur finished the job. Soon he started humming and rocking back and forth. Judy nuzzled up under his chin, reapplying her mark on her mate. A soft growl escaped his lips as Nick realized what she was doing and he pulled her off his chest so he was able to press his lips against hers.

It didn’t take long for her ears to shoot up as she heard the sounds of the approaching police siren. Judy broke off the kiss and sat back in his lap her paws holding onto the sides of Nick's muzzle, "Let's go great the pair who are going to take care of our little headache."

Nick stood up and set his mate down, "I have to admit, having others defend my den and my mate isn't really sitting right with me. I'll keep my cool, but I'd appreciate it if you stayed by my side to ease my mind."

Judy took his paw in her own, "Where else was I going to be slick?"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Next chapter, some action!

**Author's Note:**

> Thanks for reading! Leave a review if you feel so inclined. :)


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